[NewsPoster]

Samsung has launched two new products aimed at the fitness market. The Gear IconX wireless earbuds are reminiscent of the rumored wireless EarPods that Apple is said to be developing for a future iPhone, that could ship without a standard 3.5mm jack. Along with the announcement of the earbuds, Samsung has also announced its latest wearable, the fitness-focused Gear Fit 2, with a curved AMOLED display.


The Gear IconX wireless earbuds can support music streamed wirelessly from a smartphone, with the built-in battery good for around 1.5 hours when used in this way. However, this rises to three hours of use when the music is played directly from its internal 4GB of storage. In this scenario, users can load up to 1,000 MP3s recorded at a lower 128Kbps, or fewer songs if a higher audio quality is chosen.

To boost safety an ambient sound mode has been incorporated, to allow outside sounds to pass through when going on runs. What really helps to set the device apart is that it can also record a user's heart rate and distance travelled, while also giving users hands-free reporting on the live fitness tracking. The earbuds charge using the included storage case, which is fitted with a microUSB port.

The Gear Fit 2 incorporates GPS tracking, allowing users to leave their smartphone behind when going for a run -- a user's pace, distance, and route is all recorded for later synchronization, with 2GB of storage allocated for this purpose. The remaining 2GB of storage can be used to store up to 500 songs that can be listened to wirelessly. The device also functions like a smartwatch, allowing users to send and receive texts and calls, along with other notifications, like calendar events. It is water resistant, and offers battery life of up to four days on a charge.

The Gear IconX will retail for $200 a pair, while the Gear Fit 2 will retail for $180.