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Samsung Charm: affordable stylish fitness tracker. Samsung Charm review: an elegant fitness bracelet for everyone Fitness bracelet samsung charm use

- 12 July 2016

Doesn't want to connect to any Lenovo smartphone S850, although the devices are compatible in all respects. So HTC smartphones connects easily, with Highscreen in some strange way it also turned out. So I advise you to download the Charm by Samsung app in advance and check the compatibility of devices empirically before buying. The S Health application, which keeps track of the user's activity using the bracelet, gives out random numbers - the bracelet is lying, and the activity is growing ... Or vice versa, after running 500 meters, the application says that 100 meters have been overcome ... In general, it is not clear how it works

Advantages:

Flaws:

Period of use:

less than a month

0 0

Anonymously

- 13 July 2016

It does not want to connect with the Lenovo S850 smartphone in any way, although the devices are compatible in all respects. It connects easily with HTC smartphones, it also worked out in some strange way with Highscreen. So I advise you to download the Charm by Samsung app in advance and check the compatibility of devices empirically before buying. The S Health application, which keeps track of the user's activity using the bracelet, gives out random numbers - the bracelet is lying, and the activity is growing ... Or vice versa, after overcoming a distance of 500 meters, the application says that 100 meters have been overcome ... In general, it's not clear how it works

Advantages:

Except the design. Gave it to a girl, she liked it appearance

Flaws:

Contrary to the information provided in the user manual, the fitness bracelet is not compatible with all smartphones on Android platform 4.4 and above with Bluetooth 4.0 function.

Period of use:

less than a month

23 15

Lobanova Katerina

- March 13, 2017

In the characteristics there is a notification about calls, messages, etc. Thought it would vibrate. Will not. Can only blink

Advantages:

easily connects with samsungs, does not require additional programs - it is displayed in the standard shealth

Flaws:

Fasteners from the strap - unconvincing plastic. A couple of times lightly caught on something, on the third (after 2.5 months of operation) the fasteners fell off. Everything, the bracelet can be thrown away

Period of use:

a few months

11 0

Anonymously

- March 13, 2017

This fitness bracelet became my gift in the draw. I wouldn't buy this gadget myself. The phone was paired, given that I have an ASUS phone. I downloaded the S Health application, where all the results of the pedometer of this gadget come.

Advantages:

This fitness bracelet has a beautiful design. Its advantages are the indicator of messages that come to the phone.

It also has the advantage of a long offline work(about 7 days).

Flaws:

The disadvantage is that, compared to the Xiaomi Mi Band 2 fitness bracelet, it lacks a touch screen, a heart rate monitor; counting calories burned, tracking sleep phases; smart alarm clock. Considering all this, he is much inferior to his competitor.

Period of use:

a few months

4 4

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Inexpensive but stylish

At MWC 2016, Samsung featured the Charm fitness bracelet among other novelties, but did not draw much attention to it, focusing on smartphones and the VR theme. No less modestly began and, moreover, it entered the Russian market simultaneously with South Korea, France and Italy (Samsung Charm will be available in other countries later). We did not miss the chance to be among the first to test the novelty.

Before moving on to the study of the bracelet, it is worth remembering the history of fitness gadgets and wearables. Samsung devices. The South Korean corporation entered this market in 2013 by releasing smart watches Samsung Galaxy Gear. And six months later they were presented Gear watch the second generation and with them the Samsung Gear Fit fitness bracelet. At that time, we highly appreciated this device: it combined the capabilities smart watch and a convenient bracelet form factor, and the main trump card of the device was a beautiful curved screen.

Samsung Gear Fit first generation

Alas, since then, Samsung has not released new version bracelet, although the watch line was continued with the Gear Live, Gear S, and Gear S2 models. More recently, about the imminent release of Samsung Gear Fit 2 and even this device, but there is still no official announcement, so one can only guess when Gear Fit 2 will hit store shelves and how much it will cost. But suddenly Samsung Charm appeared on sale, the functionality of which is much more modest, but the price is significantly lower than that of the first version of Gear Fit.

To date, this is the cheapest Samsung wrist gadget. Its recommended price in Russia is 3000, which is less than $50 at the current exchange rate. Of course, Xiaomi Mi Band fitness bracelets are still far from the price level, but the focus is Xiaomi devices and Samsung is quite different. Charm is positioned primarily as a fashion accessory for women. In addition, it is available from us in official retail, unlike Xiaomi. So its target audience is visitors to communication stores and hypermarkets, and not geeks trying to save money.

Let's see what the fair sex will get by buying this gadget! Here are the new specs.

Specifications Samsung Charm

Screen: none
Water and dust resistance: not reported
Strap: detachable (black, white or pink)
Compatibility: devices on Android based 4.4
Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.0LE
Sensors: accelerometer
Cameras, internet: no
Microphone, speaker: no
Indication: three-color LED indicator
Battery: 17 mAh
Weight 6.5 g (with bracelet)

For clarity, let's compare the Samsung Charm specifications with some other models from among the simplest inexpensive fitness bracelets.

	Samsung Charm	Sony Smart Band SWR10	Jawbone Up Move	Xiaomi Mi Band
Indication	three-color LED indicator	vibration signal, 3 LED indicators	14 LED indicators	3 single-color LED indicators, vibration signal
Protection	not reported	yes (IP58)	splash water protection, standard not reported	yes (IP67)
Strap	removable, silicone	removable, silicone	removable, silicone + clip	removable, silicone
Camera	No	No	No	No
Sensors	accelerometer	accelerometer	accelerometer	accelerometer
Microphone, speaker	No	No	No	No
Compatibility	Devices on Android 4.4	Devices on Android 4.4	Devices running iOS 7 / Android 4.3 and later	Devices running iOS 7 / Android 4.4 and later
Support third party applications	No	there are extensions that allow you to control various smartphone applications from the bracelet	yes (data transfer to them)	yes (data transfer to them)
Battery capacity (mAh)	17	35	225 (CR2032)	41
Weight (g)*	6	21	15	13

*according to the manufacturer

The table clearly shows that specifications Samsung Charm is the most modest of the presented devices, although their prices are comparable. Charm does not have a vibration signal, compatibility is only with Android smartphones, there is only one LED indicator, there is no support for third-party applications, the built-in battery capacity is less than that of competitors. However, it is worth paying attention to the last line of the table: mass. Only 6 grams! This seems to be an absolute record: we have never tested a lighter wrist device.

However, it is better to talk about design already when you get to know the bracelet in person. What are we going to do.

Equipment

The device came to us without packaging, so we cannot evaluate it. As for the equipment, judging by the manufacturer's website, it contains only leaflets (including quick guide) and charging dock. And they didn't forget to put it on us.

This docking station is very similar to those used in the Samsung Gear Fit and the first two generations. samsung watch gear. It is put on the bracelet case from the back side in such a way that the two contacts on the docking station and the bracelet coincide.

The lower part of the docking station is made of plastic, and the ears that wrap around the body of the bracelet are made of thick rubber. When we place the device between them, they diverge a little and then hold the bracelet tightly. The only connector on the docking station is Micro-USB. You need to connect a cable to it - and then the bracelet will be charged.

Design

When we pick up the Samsung Charm for the first time, we involuntarily exclaim: “What a small one!”. Of course, from a woman’s lips (the bracelet is designed for women), such a phrase sounds scary, but in this case it can be considered a compliment: even on the most elegant miniature handle, it will look organic.

To give you an idea of the size of the bracelet case, let's say that its diameter is close to the diameter of a wedding ring for a woman with thin fingers. However, the word "diameter" can be used here conditionally, because the shape of the bracelet's body is a cross between a circle and a square. Rather, it is a square with strongly rounded corners.

The side faces of the case are made of metal, the back surface and the attachment to the strap are made of plastic, and on top there is glass with a slight bend (something like fashionable in 2.5D smartphones), thanks to which the bracelet glares very beautifully when light hits it. This is really pleasing and inspires respect for Samsung designers: if they made plastic or even metal here instead of curved glass, the device would lose its charm. However, glass has no functional load. The bracelet is devoid of a screen and touch functions, so this solution is purely for beauty.

In bright external light under the glass in the center, you can see the circle of the LED indicator. There is only one here, but it can flash in three colors: blue, green and red. Red for charging, green for when charging is complete, and blue for notifications. In the photo below, the LED is clearly visible, but the color of the glass is not the same as in reality - the glass is completely black.

The strap is made of silicone. It is incredibly narrow: just over 7 millimeters. And besides, it's very short. So much so that the bracelet will not even fit on every woman's hand. Chubby ladies may be uncomfortable in it. For whom the holes closest to the base are designed here - for us it generally remains a mystery. Three year old girls?

The strap clasp is standard: a metal bar with two pins that are inserted into the holes on the other half of the strap. Note that the strap is removable: to detach it from the bracelet case, you need to slightly turn it sideways relative to the case. An interesting decision. However, the practical need for this operation is not obvious to us: you can charge Samsung Charm in a bracelet, and the manufacturer has not yet released alternative straps.

In general, if the bracelet is positioned precisely as a fashion accessory, then interchangeable straps are simply necessary, and, preferably, from more noble materials than silicone. Because now there is some dissonance between the stylish case of the bracelet and the faceless strap. Although, of course, due to its minimum width, it looks quite impressive.

The bracelet is available in three color options: a black case with a black strap (as shown in our photos), a gold case with a white strap, and a rose gold case with a creamy pink strap. The last two options we could not evaluate live, but in the photographs they look very nice.

In general, we can consider the design of Samsung Charm to be successful - first of all, thanks to the unprecedented miniature size of this device.

Smartphone applications and bracelet functionality

The bracelet is only compatible with Android smartphones, however Samsung models their list is unlimited (unlike the Samsung Gear Fit, which could only work with a few smartphones from the same manufacturer). One way or another, incompatibility with iOS must be borne in mind.

To work, you need to install two applications from Google Play Store: Charm by Samsung and S Health. The first of them is necessary for the initial connection and setup of the bracelet, and the second is for tracking the number of steps and other fitness functions.

When you launch Charm by Samsung for the first time, you can specify the color of the LED for notifications, as well as enable the app's access to smartphone notifications. This must be done so that the bracelet can signal them.

An important point: you can choose which notifications will make the bracelet blink. And this is worth doing, since the bracelet does not have a vibration signal and different LEDs, therefore, the same color signal will correspond to all types of notifications, which is not very convenient. The best thing is to choose three or four notification sources (for example, calls, SMS and a couple of instant messengers), and disable the rest.

Of course, this still does not help you understand what the blinking indicator means at one time or another. But at least you will know that it is worth taking a look at the smartphone, and this is not just another news from some Internet resource or a portion of email spam. In addition to the above, in Charm by Samsung you can update the firmware and see how much battery charge the bracelet has left. In general, the application is very primitive and purely auxiliary. That is, after the initial setup and during the period when there are no software updates, it may be needed only to find out if it's time to recharge the bracelet.

Much more functional is the second application - S Health. In principle, it is well known to us and Samsung smartphones(where it is among the pre-installed), and for wearable devices from this company.

S Health can be used not only with the Samsung Charm bracelet, but, on the contrary, the bracelet cannot be used for its intended purpose without S Health. It is in this application that the bracelet exports data on the number of steps per day. Alas, this is where its capabilities end: the bracelet cannot track sleep phases, record some sporting achievements, and so on. Only steps.

In S Health, you can specify whether you want to receive information about the number of steps from the sensors of which device - from a bracelet or from a smartphone. Of course, if you have a bracelet and you wear it all day without taking it off, you need to choose it, because you don’t always carry a smartphone with you (to the toilet or to the kitchen when you go to pour tea). Fortunately, the bracelet does not need to constantly synchronize with a smartphone. You can walk in it all day and only in the evening launch the application and make synchronization.

Offline work

Samsung Charm is equipped with a battery of tiny capacity - only 17 mAh. But since the functionality of the bracelet is minimal, and in principle there are no energy-consuming elements here, even with such a small battery, the device should work on a single charge for a long time.

According to the manufacturer, this period is 14 days - two weeks. Since the bracelet came out just the other day, we, of course, could not verify the validity of such a statement. However, we had no reason to doubt it. This bracelet cannot be used more economically or less economically, because there is, in fact, a single mode. Only the frequency of connection with the smartphone and the number of flashes of the LED indicator can differ. But it is unlikely that these parameters can seriously reduce the operating time. So, most likely, the declared two weeks is quite an achievable value.

This is more than most fitness gadgets with rechargeable batteries (they usually promise about a week), but less than devices with a coin cell battery (like Misfit Shine or Jawbone Move). However, the tablet battery needs to be changed periodically, and the Samsung Charm is easy enough to charge.

conclusions

From the point of view of high technologies, there is nothing interesting in Samsung Charm, of course. This is the most elementary fitness tracker that is not even able to track sleep phases and lacks a vibration signal. The only thing that is here besides the accelerometer is the LED indication of the receipt of notifications on the smartphone (moreover, with the ability to select sources).

But this simplicity has its own beauty. The absence of unnecessary functions allowed us to make the device as compact as possible and at the same time - for quite a long time on battery power. And proprietary Samsung software provides hassle-free and intuitively simple use of the gadget. It should be noted that the S Health app is generally quite a powerful fitness tool, since there are many parameters and options for those who monitor their physical condition. Of course, the Samsung Charm doesn't use much of S Health's features, and its only purpose is to send step count data to the app. But already on the basis of this, the application can calculate the calories burned and the distance traveled, and receive the rest of the data from the smartphone or directly from the user.

However, the target audience of the gadget is not fitness girls and athletes, but those women who just want a nice wrist bauble that will please you with a beautiful figure for the number of steps per day, and, in addition, will notify you when to get your smartphone out of your purse (and here all men remembered how often girls do not hear the phone because it is in their bag).

The Samsung Charm is a really beautiful device. The only pity is that Samsung has not yet bothered to release alternative straps for this model. Still, silicone is somehow frivolous. But a leather strap would be, perhaps, very handy (even if it would increase the cost of the device). True, there are alternative straps at MWC 2016, which allows us to hope that sooner or later they will reach store shelves.

Concerning Samsung prices Charm, then by retail standards Russian market fitness bracelets is the lower price level. Finding something cheaper from the same well-known brand will be problematic. On the other hand, for much less money in China you can order more functional bracelets (although, of course, their appearance may not be so attractive). And the same Xiaomi Mi Band looks like a much more profitable purchase. But here it all depends on how you approach the purchase: spontaneously, seeing a beautiful and relatively inexpensive trinket in the cabin, or thoughtfully comparing technical specifications and trying to spend a minimum of money. In the first case, Samsung Charm has more chances, simply because the bracelet will most likely be widely represented in outlets and, in addition, this is a uniquely female model with a memorable (due to its diminutiveness) appearance and without significant flaws.

I try to keep myself in shape and therefore, as soon as fitness trackers appeared on the market, they immediately attracted my attention. I watched reviews for a long time, studied the characteristics, but I couldn’t find a suitable gadget for myself, but why, because I’m a girl))))

In addition to the functionality, the appearance of the device was of great importance to me, I wanted a small, neat bracelet that would fit both sportswear and an office suit.

And now he appeared charm from samsung,

The bracelet is presented in 3 colors: black, a gold pill on a white bracelet and a pink version (which I opted for). The perfect tracker for a woman's pen.

In fact, this is an ordinary pedometer, but in a convenient format and with additional functions.

What is most convenient for me is that the bracelet is synchronized and works with the S Health application, which is originally built into my samsung galaxy S6. I have been using the application for a very long time, and I love it very much, and thanks to the fitness tracker, now I have even more accurate information about my activity during the day. There you can also keep a food diary, fix the amount of water you drink, etc.

For me personally, the bracelet has become an additional motivation, my work is sedentary, but the desire to achieve better results makes me tear my ass off the chair more often. In addition, the competitive component plays an important role.

(in the application you can compare your results with the results of friends or, for example, users of your age group).

In addition, thanks to the flashing light, the bracelet can notify you of a missed call, message, or, for example, a letter to e-mail(You can set all these parameters according to your needs).

I am very pleased that the samsung charm has appeared in my arsenal, an excellent gadget for its price.

P.S. the manufacturer claims that the battery charge will last for 14 days, I had enough for 12 days of active use and, for me, an excellent result.

Update from 02/24/2017

And everything would be fine and I would, as before, dearly love my charm if not for one but ...

It broke... The manufacturer, somehow, did not think at all about the place where the charm was attached to the bracelet, and after half a year of use, this very place broke off.

The fact is that the entire load during fastening goes to a small plastic and, as it turned out, flimsy hook. At the same time, I used the bracelet carefully, did not drop it, did not particularly cling to it, but this did not save it either. Unfortunately, I can’t use it now, because while wearing it, it simply does not stay on the bracelet.

The service center shrugged, saying that I'm not the first with such a problem, they can't help in any way ...

Here is such a sadness.

As it turned out, I can’t do without a fitness tracker, so I bought a new one, but of course, a different model, I’ll definitely tell you about it when I’m ready and completely give my opinion about it)

There are many fitness trackers - and most of them look in accordance with the application: sporty, colorful and relatively awkward. For everyday wear, for many people, these fitness gadgets are only conditionally suitable. Charm is aimed at such an audience. A new market niche that Samsung has found for itself? At least due to the low price (from 2 thousand rubles), buying this fitness bracelet will not be a big mistake.

Samsung Charm: can cheap be elegant?

Samsung itself emphasizes that the tracker has a "minimalist simple design." Already at MWC 2016, we were able to personally look at the Samsung Charm. Our first impression then was the following: the gadget is incredibly small and, despite being made of plastic, it looks really stylish. But because of its elegant appearance, Charm is more suitable for women than men.

However, great opportunities at such a low starting price should not be expected: the device has a built-in pedometer, which also calculates the distance traveled and the approximate number of calories burned. Through bluetooth data sync with mobile phone. With the help of LED signals, the user can be informed about incoming calls, messages and more.

Manufacturer data

Dimensions: 18.2×18.2×6.5mm

Weight: 3 grams

Battery: 17 mAh (can last up to 14 days, according to Samsung)

Compatible with: Android 4.4

Interface: Pogo Pin

Communication: Bluetooth 4.0

Contents of delivery: charging station, strap, brief instructions

Cheap fitness bracelets

The price is about 2 thousand rubles. - very affordable, but Samsung will still have to compete in this segment with several other manufacturers. If affordability is more important to you when looking for a fitness band than looks, the Jawbone UP24 might be an interesting alternative. Via Bluetooth, the bracelet can be connected to mobile phone on Android and iPhone, and calibrate the acceleration sensor. Other features include, but are not limited to, a sleep-phase alarm and Power Nap function. Jawbone UP24 you can get at a price of about 3 thousand rubles.

- 12 July 2016

It does not want to connect with the Lenovo S850 smartphone in any way, although the devices are compatible in all respects. It connects easily with HTC smartphones, it also worked out in some strange way with Highscreen. So I advise you to download the Charm by Samsung app in advance and check the compatibility of devices empirically before buying. The S Health application, which keeps track of the user's activity using the bracelet, gives out random numbers - the bracelet is lying, and the activity is growing ... Or vice versa, after running 500 meters, the application says that 100 meters have been overcome ... In general, it is not clear how it works

Advantages:

Flaws:

Period of use:

less than a month

0 0

Anonymously

- 13 July 2016

Advantages:

Except the design. Gave to a girl, she liked the look

Flaws:

Contrary to the information provided in the user manual, the fitness bracelet is not compatible with all smartphones running Android 4.4 and above with the Bluetooth 4.0 function.