Review: Samsung Gear IconX is a unique set of fitness tracking earbuds
The eye-catching Samsung Gear IconX is an Android-only fitness wearable packed with features. If only its battery life were longer
Samsung Gear IconX is a biometric sports tracker/earbuds hybrid that allows wearers to listen to music and check their heart rate during workouts, without a single strap or wire in sight. It is a unique offering in the steadily growing wearables market.
Design and hardware
My Gear IconX review unit received its fair share of inquisitive and admiring looks as soon as it was unwrapped. The first thing that catches the eye is the capsule-shaped charging case. It’s sleek, with a push button to release the top (it doesn’t spring open, sadly), a USB port and three indicator lights.
Charging cases aren’t a completely new idea – and is the most suitable method of stowage and charging the IconX buds. Once out of the box, they turn on automatically – there are no buttons to turn them off. They do have a proximity sensor so they become active only when placed inside the ears.
It dings and chimes to indicate that they’re connected to each other, and also to indicate that they’re connected to your phone’s Bluetooth. It’s intuitive, elegant and feels hi-tech. The indicator light at the back shows the case’s charge and the two on the front indicate the charge level for each individual bud.