We don’t understand the point of smart wearables if company’s can’t justify their existence or overvalued pricing. Apple Watch in India is priced starting at Rs 34,000 while the Motorola Moto 360 2nd gen sells for Rs 19,999. Samsung is the latest to jump in with the Gear S2 that comes with a brand new version of the Tizen UI.
Starting from Rs 24,800, the Samsung Gear S2 is cheaper than the Apple Watch but can it succeed where Motorola has failed?
Key Specifications: Samsung Gear S2
- Display: 1.2-inch Super AMOLED 360 pixels with Corning Glass 3
- Operating System: Tizen 2.1 UI
- Processor: 1GHz Dual-core Exynos 3250
- RAM: 512MB
- Battery: 250mAh
- Compatibility: Android 4.4 KitKat or higher*
- Price: Rs 24,300 & Rs 25,800
*(Note: Some features only work with Samsung Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge)
What’s Good?
Samsung has reworked Apple Watch’s Crown Dial and has designed a rotating dial for its Gear S2 smartwatch. This dial has been seamlessly integrated with the Tizen operating system.
The dial is intuitive and works as claimed by Samsung. The circular 1.3-inch display packs Samsung’s Super AMOLED quality with a 360 pixel resolution which is perfect for a wearable. The watch comes with Corning Glass 3 and with an IP68 rating, the Gear S2 can definitely take a fall or two.
Apart from receiving notifications, the Gear S2 can also be used to control music on your phone, as a fitness tracker and a heart rate monitor via the Samsung S Health app.
The build and construction of the Gear S2 is plain and simple but somehow we like the non-bling nature of the wearable. It definitely scores higher than the Gear S in terms of size and design. The Tizen UI running the Gear S2 has also been fine tuned to good effect.
Samsung seems to have put in the groundwork to make sure that its patent operating system works in tandem with the wearable, and it mostly does. The Gear S2 works with most Android phones (4.4 KitKat or higher), an added bonus for sure.
The portable charger that comes bundled with the Gear S2 is reminiscent of the one Motorola sells with its Moto 360 smartwatch. It’s handy, easy to use and works just fine, no complaints there.
What’s Bad?
The Samsung Gear S2 is priced upwards of Rs 24,000 and that’s one of biggest problems that we have with the device. Wearables at this price point are usually not a good buy and consumers will be reluctant to give the product a shot.
We like the way the Tizen UI has been designed although the lack of apps is a sore point.
We spoke to a couple of developers working on Tizen apps for the wearable and we were told that more apps will be available on the Tizen app store in the next 8 to 10 months. This means that Gear S3 might have better app support than the Gear S2.
Unfortunately, the Gear S2 does not work with iPhones and most of the features of the Gear S2 are only supported by high-end Samsung Galaxy models.
The 250mAh battery on the Gear S2 will last you just a day and a half. Samsung has added the ultra power-saving feature to compensate for this but we found that it didn’t make too much of a difference to the battery life.
Why Buy It?
Samsung Gear S2 is a well-rounded product, especially in comparison with other wearables in the market. The rotating dial is a nifty addition and sets its apart from the competition (except the Apple Watch, of course).
The Tizen UI comes in a new avatar and is much better than its previous versions. The Super AMOLED display can be overwhelming for the 250mAh battery but it still manages to last more than a day.
The Samsung Gear S2 has got most of it right. We would, however, like it with more apps and at a lower price.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)