New Samsung S Band fitness tracker spotted

Back at the launch of the Galaxy S4, you may recall that Samsung announced a fitness device called the S Band, although the band never actually made it to market. New information has appeared online which indicates that Samsung will be reviving the product. The design has been updated with an all new appearance, and will make use of Samsung’s upcoming fitness features in the Galaxy S5. Fitness is now clearly at the core of Samsung’s smartphone vision, we’re also expecting a similar product from Samsung in the form of the mysteriously named S-Circle.

You’ll immediately notice that unlike Samsung’s new Fit device, the S Band doesn’t feature a display, meaning that it’s just a sensor device. Instead, all of your tracking details will be made visible on the paired smartphone via Samsung’s Activity Tracker app and the new S Health app, which will be available with the Galaxy S5.

For features, the S Band tracks the usual array of stats, such as steps taken, calories burned, and distance travelled, and also comes with sleep tracking software to monitor the efficiency of your sleep, although it’s not quite clear what features of your sleep it tracks at this point.

Despite the lack of display, the S Band will be able to notify users of incoming calls and notifications on the paired smartphones via an in-build vibrating alarm and a simple LED. The alarm can also be used to alert you if the phone and band lose their Bluetooth connection, which Samsung is advertising as a “loss protection” feature. The S Band will also feature an interchangeable strap, which will be available in white, yellow, orange and grey color options.

Have a click on the images below for a closer look at Samsung’s literature for the new S Band.

The S Band should be compatible with both new and existing Samsung devices, although it will require an update to version 3.0 of S Health, which should be heading our way with the launch of Samsung’s next flagship smartphone. No price information or official release date have been announced yet.