What you need to know

• The Samsung Galaxy Fit 3 launches in the U.S. on January 9 for $59.99, nearly a year after its worldwide launch.

• It measures heart rate, stress, blood oxygen, snoring, sleep quality, and stress.

• Key features include a 1.6-inch display, IP68 resistance, workout detection, fall detection, and emergency SOS.

• The Galaxy Fit 3 originally launched in Europe, Asia, and Central and South America on February 23, 2024.

Samsung launched the Galaxy Fit 3 in most major regions early last year but left out the United States despite selling the Fit 2 there in 2020. At the time, Samsung told us that "market trends and needs for each region" explained why the Fit 3 would skip this territory.

Evidently, the economics have changed, as Samsung announced a U.S. Galaxy Fit 3 launch on January 9, for an affordable $59.99. Fans of the Galaxy Fit 2 who dislike how short-lived the Galaxy Watch 7 is have a new 13-day option, with a 1.6-inch AMOLED display that's 45% wider than the Fit 2's.

The affordable tracker has a water-resistant squircle design with a single button and touchscreen controls, without the touch bezel or circular look of most Galaxy Watches. It's much lighter, skinnier, and longer-lived than your typical Galaxy Watch, too, though this trade-off comes with limitations: It uses a battery-saving RTOS instead of Wear OS that can't handle apps or messaging.

Unlike the Galaxy Fit 2, the Galaxy Fit 3 doesn't appear to be compatible with iPhones, though we're following up with Samsung to confirm. Some features may also be Galaxy phone-specific, such as Find My Phone and remote camera controls.

The Galaxy Fit 3 also supports notifications, fall detection, emergency SOS, Samsung Health insights, and music playback controls from your nearby Android phone.

The Samsung Galaxy Fit 3 has over 100 preset watch faces and just as many sports modes. Although it uses your phone's GPS for outdoor workouts, it'll still detect your heart rate, arm movements, and altitude for measuring stairs climbed.

When it comes to the best fitness trackers in the U.S. today, the Fitbit Charge 6 is expensive and requires a subscription, while Xiaomi bands like the Smart Band 9 are inconsistently available and Amazfit hasn't sold a new band since the Band 7 in 2022.

Even though smartwatches have become much more popular than cheap trackers, Samsung must see a market gap to target cheap wearable buyers who will trust the Samsung brand and appreciate the subscription-free health and fitness insights.

We're excited to test the Samsung Galaxy Fit 3 for ourselves and see how its heart rate and sleep accuracy compare to those of a Galaxy Watch. As a launch promotion, Samsung is selling the Fit 3 for 50% off if you buy it with the new Galaxy A16 5G.