Samsung's latest smartwatch is all about sports, which will come as no surprise when you consider its name. Its design, too, exudes a fitness focus with a more sweat-friendly silicone strap and a smaller, lighter construction compared to the previous Samsung Gear S3 .

Accurate GPS/GLONASS; Rotating bezel interface is still great; Spotify offline playback; Good activity tracking

Shortage of Tizen apps; No Bluetooth HRMs; S Voice is forgettable; Limited Samsung Pay support

I've bought this watch one week ago but from day one I am having a lot of issues. GPS does not work correctly, poor battery life especially streaming music via Bluetooth from watch. This watch was made definitely not for sport. Perhaps, good as smart watch but not for jogging or doing any sport.

Last year's Gear S3 was an outstanding smartwatch and we were particularly impressed by its whopping five-day battery life. This year Samsung hasn't replaced it or improved it; instead, the new Gear Sport slots into Samsung's smartwatch line-up just below the S3.

Excellent display; Offline Spotify playback; Swimproof

Not many third-party apps; No support for external heart rate sensors; Expensive

ImageTagInstance gallery-77ccce8f-fb2c-4819-bd04-b0f8502da4a4 Samsung may be best known for its Galaxy smartphones, but its smartwatches are no less worthy of attention. Whether you’re an active individual in need of a fitness companion or a tech-savvy person who finds classic watches lacking in function, chances are the company’s Gear lineup has something that just might suit you. Something like the Samsung Gear Sport, for instance. It is the latest member in the series, and I spent a couple of weeks in its company to find out whether it is worth the $300 asking price. Let’s dive in.In the box:Samsung Gear Sport smartwatchCharging cradleWall charger with microUSB connectorSmall and large wristbandQuick start guideDesign ImageTagInstance gallery-d050a1c8-ebc1-4193-884d-f705ca3d03f1 The Samsung Gear Sport shares a lot of design DNA with the Gear S3 and the HTMLTagInstance html-tag-b615ccb8-c699-4c48-b3a9-7189042e8a42 Gear S2. Said briefly, it is a stylish piece of kit. The black version...

Bright and beautiful display; Comfortable to wear; Fast and responsive interface; Good battery life; Spotify with offline music support could be useful;

Not great for tracking actual sports; Vibration feedback could be better; Strap showing signs of wear only after 2 weeks of use;

Ultimately, the Gear Sport is almost as robust a fitness tracker as it is a smartwatch, and is one of the most versatile in the category, especially for those who already own Samsung's phones and TVs.

Attractive case; Useful rotating bezel; Bright; colorful screen; Four-day battery

Unreliable sleep tracking; New calorie tracking feature doesn't feel complete

Ultimately, the best comparison right now is the Fitbit Ionic. It too offers both fitness tracking and smartwatch features, and works with Android and iOS devices. Not surprisingly, the Ionic offers a deeper focus on fitness and more accurate results.

Slim, swim-friendly design; Works with standard watch bands; Good battery life; Solid third-party app selection; Can play offline Spotify playlists

Requires multiple phone apps; Mixed fitness tracking performance in testing

The smartwatch never had it easy. On the one hand, offer too small a list of skills and people question your value; on the other, do too much and the resulting complexity can overwhelm the wrist.

Solid set of fitness-related features; Samsung Pay is convenient; Circular touchscreen and scroll wheel easy to use; Standard 20mm straps

Underwhelming design; No Samsung Pay MST; GPS is a battery hog

The Apple Watch might be the most popular smartwatch, but its controls and interface don't hold a candle to what you get on Samsung's watches. The problem is that because Samsung has been trying to start its own watch ecosystem with Tizen OS, its watches never received the rabid support that Apple's...

Samsung's smartwatch interface is still the best in the biz; 50 meter water resistance

Tizen app ecosystem feels thin; and some important apps are clunky

The Apple Watch might be the most popular smartwatch, but its controls and interface don't hold a candle to what you get on Samsung's watches. The problem is that because Samsung has been trying to start its own watch ecosystem with Tizen OS, its watches never received the rabid support that Apple's...

Samsung's smartwatch interface is still the best in the biz; 50 meter water resistance

Android Wear has been anything but a resounding success, so Samsung is putting all its eggs in the Tizen basket. And it could be onto something with the $299.99 Gear Sport, a fitness-focused smartwatch for Android and iOS devices. Slimmer than the Gear S3, it looks good enough to wear outside of the gym, and its bezel-based navigation is a nice way to maneuver through screens while in the pool. It's not as accurate as some dedicated fitness trackers, but it's a solid companion if you're looking to become more active. Combined with a decent third-party app selection, it gives Android Wear watches a run for their money. Sporty but Sleek The Gear Sport ($253.74 at Amazon) is meant to fall between the Gear S3, Samsung's flagship smartwatch, and the Gear Fit2 Pro fitness tracker. Its measures 0.5 by 1.6 by 1.7 inches (HWD) and weighs 1.7 ounces, which is a lot easier to wear than the S3's 0.5 by 1.8 by 1.9 inches and 2.2 ounces. It looks better than your average fitness tracker or sm...

The Samsung Gear Sport is a Tizen-based smartwatch with a fitness focus that gives Android Wear a run for its money.

Slim, swim-friendly design; Works with standard watch bands; Good battery life; Solid third-party app selection; Can play offline Spotify playlists

Requires multiple phone apps; Mixed fitness tracking performance in testing