After announcing them earlier this week, Samsung has showcased its next-generation smartwatches today at IFA 2015. The South Korean smartphone giant's smartwatch offerings come in three variants – the Samsung Gear S2, the Samsung Gear S2 3G, and the Samsung Gear S2 Classic – and are one of the best equipped smartwatches till date.
The Gear S2 and the Gear S2 3G are Wi-Fi only and Wi-Fi + Cellular variants that feature a modern and minimalistic design language, while the Gear S2 classic resembles quite a lot like a contemporary watch. All of them feature Samsung's new innovative rotating bezel ring that can be used to navigating around in the UI.
They run a newer version of Tizen's wearable operating system, and feature a 1.2-inch circular Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 360 x 360 pixels (302 ppi), a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 512MB RAM, 4GB internal storage, Wi-Fi b/g/n, NFC, and Bluetooth v4.1 LE. The Gear S2 3G even comes with cellular connectivity over 3G networks, thanks to its e-SIM (embedded-SIM) card slot.
Samsung Gear S2 | Samsung Gear S2 classic | Samsung Gear S2 3G | |
Display | 1.2”, Circular Super AMOLED, 360x360, 302ppi | 1.2”, Circular Super AMOLED, 360x360, 302ppi | 1.2”, Circular Super AMOLED, 360x360, 302ppi |
Colour Options | Dark Gray Case + Dark Gray Band Silver Case + White Band | Black Case + Leather Band | Dark Gray Case + Dark Gray Band Silver Case + White Band |
Dimensions | 42.3 x 49.8 x 11.4mm; 47 grams | 39.9 x 43.6 x 11.4mm; 42 grams | 44.0 x 51.8 x 13.4mm; 51 grams |
Processor | 1.0 GHz Dual-Core | 1.0 GHz Dual-Core | 1.0 GHz Dual-Core |
RAM | 512MB | 512MB | 512MB |
Storage | 4GB | 4GB | 4GB |
OS | Tizen-based wearable platform | Tizen-based wearable platform | Tizen-based wearable platform |
Connectivity | Wi-Fi: 802.11 b/g/n Bluetooth® 4.1 NFC | Wi-Fi: 802.11 b/g/n Bluetooth® 4.1 NFC | Wi-Fi: 802.11 b/g/n Bluetooth® 4.1 NFC 3G (via e-SIM) |
Sensors | Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Heart Rate, Ambient Light, Barometer | Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Heart Rate, Ambient Light, Barometer | Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Heart Rate, Ambient Light, Barometer |
Battery | 250 mAh Li-ion Wireless Charging Typical Usage: 2~3days | 250 mAh Li-ion Wireless Charging Typical Usage: 2~3days | 300 mAh Li-ion Wireless Charging Typical Usage: 2 days |
Other specifications include a bunch of sensors – a heart-rate monitor, a barometer, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and an ambient-light sensor – and a battery that can be charged wirelessly using a bundled magnetic charger. The Gear S2 and the Gear S2 classic are stuffed with 250 mAh batteries, while the Gear S2 3G features a 300 mAh battery to support that cellular radio. Samsung is claiming 2-3 days of battery life under normal usage circumstances.
On the software front, Tizen offers a circular UI that is custom built for circular smartwatches. However, the most interesting part about these watches is that fact that they are compatible with all Android smartphones with 1.5GB RAM and those run Android 4.4 and above. Rotating the bezel on the left shows all the notifications, while rotating it on the right showcases apps and widgets. The rotating bezel ring can also be used for scrolling through a list, changing the volume, or zooming in and out of images.
Samsung states that there will be more than 1000 apps at launch that are custom made for the Gear S2. The company has collaborated with various vendors and designers to brings watch bands and watch faces to these smartwatches. Quick replies to mails and messages are possible through voice dictation using S Voice or using the on-screen T9 keyboard. S Health and the integrated sensors combine to track things like activity, workouts, and sleep patterns. It can also auto-detect activities so you no longer have to select a workout type before starting the activity.
India specific pricing and availability of these smartwatches aren't announced yet, but we think that the Gear S2 will be priced at Rs. 24,999, while the Gear S2 classic might be priced at Rs. 29,999. Samsung will most probably not launch the 3G variant of the Gear S2 as it does not have a removable SIM card slot, but an embedded SIM that is non-removable.
