Even as the Gear Fit 2 from Samsung was being released earlier this week, it was expected to directly compete with the Microsoft Band 2, which arrived in the market last year. Here is how these two fitness bands fare in comparison of their design, specs, build and more.

Design

The design of the Microsoft Band 2 has been improved and it comes with a deeper curve on its body. On the whole, it is more flexible than the first edition. As for the buckle on the strap, it too has been redesigned and has a better clasp that can be adjusted by the wearer. More importantly, the Microsoft Band 2 comes in three sizes and it can be charged easily. In terms of colors though, the choice provided to customers is limited as the device only comes in black. Coming to its build, the fitness band from Microsoft is made from elastomer, its display is encased in steel and it has Gorilla Glass 3 layered on top. As for its water and dustproof rating, it has an IPX7 certification.

The Gear Fit 2, at first glance, looks better than its competitor as it comes with more colors, namely black, blue and pink. Its strap is made from elastomer while aluminum polycarbonate and fiberglass is used on the body. There is also an ergonomic curve on the device which means it is more comfortable than the Gear Fit. There is also good protection against water and dust and it comes with an IP68 rating which means it can be submerged in 1.5 meters of water for 30 minutes. More importantly, it can also play music in standalone mode when it is paired with a Bluetooth headset.

Coming to the operating system, the Gear Fit 2 runs on Tizen and the device can be paired with Android phones. As for the Microsoft Band 2, it can be paired with iOS, Android and Windows devices.

Display

On the Microsoft Band 2, there is a 1.26 x 0.50-inch AMOLED display and it has a resolution of 320 x 128 pixels. As for the Gear Fit 2, it has a 1.5-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 216 x 432 pixels.

Hardware

RAM onboard the Gear Fit 2 is 512 MB, while onboard storage is 4 GB. As for the Microsoft Band 2, its processor and storage have not been revealed.

Sensors

There is a good range of sensors on the Microsoft Band 2 and Gear Fit 2 and both have a heart rate sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, GPS and barometer. However, the Microsoft Band 2 also has a skin temperature sensor, UV sensor, capacitive sensor, ambient light sensor and Galvanic skin response.

Price

Currently, the price of the Microsoft Band 2 has fallen and it is priced at $174.99, while the Gear Fit 2 has a $179 price tab.