Is the Samsung Gear Sport Smartwatch Still Worth Buying in 2024?

I remember when I first strapped the Samsung Gear Sport to my wrist back in 2017 – it felt like wearing the future. That vibrant AMOLED display and the satisfying click of the rotating bezel made every interaction feel premium. But here we are in 2024, surrounded by Apple Watches and Fitbit trackers that look like they came straight out of science fiction, and I find myself wondering whether this aging warrior still deserves a spot on anyone's wrist. Let me walk you through my experience and why I think this watch might surprise you, especially if you're not living in the tech epicenters where the latest gadgets appear overnight.

You see, not everyone needs or wants the absolute newest technology. I've got cousins in the provinces who still rock phones from three generations ago, and they're perfectly happy. They always say "Yung iba naman nasa probinsiya" – meaning not everyone lives in Manila where you can easily get the latest gadgets. This perspective really changed how I look at technology. The Gear Sport might be seven years old, but for someone in Ilocos or Cebu who just wants reliable notifications, basic fitness tracking, and decent battery life without breaking the bank, this could actually be a smart buy. I recently visited a friend in Batangas who's still using his Gear Sport daily, and he showed me how it seamlessly handles his morning runs, receives messages from his family abroad, and even controls his Spotify playlist during long drives – all without the anxiety of charging it every single day like my newer smartwatch demands.

Let's talk numbers – the Gear Sport originally retailed around $299, but today you can find refurbished units for as low as $60-$80, sometimes even less during flash sales. That's roughly 3,000-4,000 Philippine pesos, which compares very favorably against the 12,000 pesos you'd drop on a new mid-range smartwatch. The battery still gives me about 2-3 days of moderate use, which honestly puts many modern watches to shame. I've counted steps with it side-by-side with my friend's newer Galaxy Watch, and the difference was minimal – maybe 200-300 steps variance over 10,000 steps, which is within acceptable margin of error for casual fitness tracking. Where it really falls short is in the health monitoring department – no ECG, no blood pressure monitoring, just the basic heart rate sensor that gets the job done but lacks the precision of current sensors.

The design has aged remarkably well in my opinion. That 42mm case with the physical rotating bezel feels more intuitive than touchscreen navigation in many situations, especially when your hands are wet or you're wearing gloves. I've taken mine swimming multiple times, and it still holds up perfectly at 5ATM water resistance. Compare this to some budget smartwatches today that claim water resistance but can't handle actual swimming, and you appreciate the build quality Samsung put into this device. The Super AMOLED display remains vibrant with decent outdoor visibility, though it does consume more battery than the transflective displays found on modern fitness trackers.

Where the Gear Sport shows its age is in the software department. It runs Tizen OS, which Samsung has since abandoned in favor of Wear OS. This means no new apps are being developed, and existing ones are slowly losing support. I tried using the Starbucks payment feature recently and found it no longer works – small inconveniences that add up over time. The companion app, Samsung Health, still functions well for basic tracking, but lacks the social features and detailed analytics of newer platforms. If you're deeply embedded in the Samsung ecosystem with a recent Galaxy phone, the integration remains smooth, but pairing it with other Android phones or iPhones can be glitchy.

Here's what surprised me most during my testing – the performance. The dual-core processor that felt snappy in 2017 now shows its limitations when loading maps or complex apps, but for daily tasks like checking notifications, controlling music, or tracking workouts, it remains perfectly adequate. I timed it – from raising my wrist to seeing the notification, it takes about 1-2 seconds, compared to nearly instant on modern watches. Not a dealbreaker for most, but noticeable if you're coming from newer devices.

What really makes the Gear Sport still relevant in 2024 is its simplicity. Modern smartwatches often feel overwhelming with countless features I never use. The Gear Sport does the essentials well without the feature bloat. I don't need to track my blood oxygen levels during yoga class or measure my stress through skin conductance – I just want to know if I'm hitting my activity goals and not missing important calls. For students, budget-conscious users, or those in areas with limited access to latest technology, this watch represents incredible value. My nephew in college recently bought one instead of splurging on a new smartwatch, and he's thrilled with how it handles his campus life – from silent alarms during lectures to tracking his basketball sessions.

The charging puck remains proprietary and somewhat finicky compared to universal charging solutions, and finding replacement bands can be challenging since the lugs use a specific size not commonly used today. But these are minor quibbles when you consider what you're getting for the price. After spending a month revisiting this device, I've come to appreciate it as the reliable companion it was designed to be – not flashy, not packed with every conceivable feature, but solid where it counts. If your smartwatch needs are straightforward and your budget limited, the Gear Sport might just be one of the best kept secrets in the wearable world. It won't win any spec sheet competitions, but it delivers where it matters most – reliable performance for the essentials at a price that's hard to beat. Sometimes, the best technology isn't the newest – it's what works reliably for your lifestyle and budget.