Samsung launched its first round smartwatch, the Gear S2, although its debut almost coincided with the launch of the Gear S2 Classic.
The novelty not only differs in design, but also in longer battery life, as well as the Tizen user interface, which works perfectly with the rotating round dial panel.
The arrival of the Gear S2 has been a real challenge for the Apple Watch, even though the new smartwatch is designed for Android devices rather than iPhones. The new gadget from Samsung provides improved integration of fitness applications, NFC, as well as wider developer support for Tizen OS.
Design and technical features Gear S2
Among the Gear S2 design features is not only the round shape of the dial, but also the fact that they are much smaller than the original Samsung Gear and most competitors.
Gear S2 offers a special control system embodied in a rotating panel. This makes it possible to control the clock without even touching the screen. The developers have provided special applications designed for this feature of the model. However, the possibility of the previous scrolling of applications remained.
The Gear S2's screen can be customized to your liking by choosing the appropriate hand design, background - there are hundreds of options for this, and the ability to use third-party products allows you to create an exclusive style for your smartwatch. In addition to personalizing the screen, you can also change the straps. To do this, simply press the button, removing the old bracelet, and easily install a new one.
Gear S2 boasts a good degree of protection - IP68, which is guaranteed to protect the device from dust and moisture, but you should still refuse to dive to depth.
The device is equipped with a 250mAh battery, while Samsung claims that the charge will last for 2-3 days. Pretty good for a device of this class, but Pebble's weekly record is still unsurpassed. Comes with a magnetic wireless charger. While charging, the Gear S2 continues to show the time, so it's convenient to use as a night watch.
It is worth noting that when the smartwatch switches to energy-saving mode, its screen becomes black and white. Perhaps this will cause a little dissatisfaction with the autonomous operation of the device.
A new approach to activity tracking
One of the main differences between the Gear S2 and previous models is the more advanced activity tracking features. In order to monitor what you have been doing all day, what loads you have received, what you have achieved, only these smartwatches will be quite enough.
You also get a 24/7 log of not only your physical activity, but also your sleep periods if you don't take your watch off at night, and the Gear S2 is able to tell a walk from a run. You will also appreciate the economical battery consumption, which is not affected by the fact that the device has to process a huge amount of data. Your activity will be displayed on the watch face by changing the color of its background or by the appearance of additional objects, icons.
Gear S2 - fromBluetooth up toNFC
Thanks to NFC technology, Gear S2 smartwatches will soon be able to work with Samsung Pay, a unique mobile payment service, as well as with various types of cards, including discount ones. The company is ready to go further and give its device the role of an electronic key that can open a car, hotel room or front door. Using Samsung SmartThings, the gadget will be able to control, for example, heating and other intelligent systems in your home. But today, most connections are made via Bluetooth.
Apps for Gear S2
As already mentioned, the new smartwatch runs on Tizen OS, Samsung's own development, so compared to Android, their capabilities will be slightly limited. But this will not be delayed for long, the company has already announced that it is going to release about 1000 applications for its device. Among them there will be versions for such popular services as Twitter, Nike, Uber, BMW, Groupon. They will be compatible with the new watch interface and allow the OS to work with different models of smartphones.
The Gear S2 has significantly expanded compatibility with Android devices. So, the watch will work with the gadget on OS version 4.4 or higher, but a prerequisite is 1.5 GB of RAM. Samsung representatives claim that the smart watch will support most phone models, but there may still be exceptions. In any case, Tizen offers a worthy alternative to Android Wear, however, both operating systems have one drawback - iPhone owners cannot work with them.
Gear S2 is a stylish novelty with great features
Samsung has considerable experience in the production of smartwatches, undoubtedly, the best achievements of the company were embodied in the Gear S2 model. This includes the exclusive Tizen operating system and a rotating dial bezel. One can only hope that over time there will be more new applications that support this feature of the device.
The battery lasts about two days of work, in which the Pebble Time or Time Steel loses somewhat. However, the wireless charging capability makes up for that shortcoming a bit by allowing you to charge your watch at night. In addition, you can use the sleep tracking function once every two days.
Gear S2 is not just a stylish and compact model, this device will easily allow you to receive notifications and track your activity. Today, smartwatches are more of a necessity than a luxury. And the new model from Samsung is an excellent choice to buy.
Source Pocketlint.com
An application that helps in pairing portable smart watches manufactured by the giant Samsung with smartphones running Android.
SamsungGear is an application that helps you discover all the possibilities of your smartwatch from a Korean manufacturer.
SamsungGear helps you sync your smartwatch with your mobile device. This application is designed not only to unify smart watches, but with their help, you can also set priority applications to receive notifications directly on the watch screen. Also, through the application, you can manage installed programs on smart watches through the official Gear Apps application.
The functionality of a third-party utility allows you to:
- pair with the device;
- edit the list of applications to receive notifications;
- install smart watch software updates;
- change the location and layout of existing widgets;
- edit the list of applications from Gear Apps;
- optimize clock performance;
- edit the list of emergency messages;
- look for your watch in case of their disappearance, through the menu item "Find my Gear".
Device sync
Data exchange between a smart watch and a smartphone is done in a standard way, using the Bluetooth module. When you open the application for the first time, you will be prompted to pair devices for further synchronization. Unfortunately, at the moment only mobile devices are supported, this software is not suitable for tablet owners. Therefore, the pairing app can only be used on smartphones. The manufacturer also took care of the owners of all mobile devices, Samsung Gear is optimized for all smartphones running Android, for comfortable use of smart watches, it is not necessary to have a Samsung smartphone. But for owners of low-powered devices, on the old version of androyd, this application is more likely not to work.Key features
- friendly interface makes it easy to set up SmartGear;
- pairs the watch with a smartphone;
- built-in search for a lost device;
- works only on smartphones;
- no support for tablets;
- Suitable for owners of Gear S3, Gear S2, Gear Icon, Gear Fit2;
- does not support devices with outdated Android;
- intuitive interface.
Convenient management
But the uniqueness of Gear S2 lies not in the round display or body. Samsung decided to use the watch bezel for control, as early as at IFA in September, this method seemed convincing to us. Of course, at first you will have to get used to it, but then the bezel turns out to be very convenient. Under the swivel bezel, the entire management philosophy has been redone, here the difference from competitors is felt.
The Android Wear system for control provides a touch screen. Of course, there is an important advantage here - the interface for all devices is unified, the manufacturer does not have to think about it. However, if the manufacturer wants to refine the interface, then he will have to do more work - as can be seen from the same watch Urbane 2nd Edition. With watchOS, Apple tried to avoid the constant involvement of the display with a "digital crown". The rotary button allows you to not only scroll through the interface, but also to confirm the selection. It also takes several days to get used to such an interface; at the first acquaintance, Android Wear controls seem more familiar. Moreover, some actions can only be performed using the "head", while others - only through the touch screen.
Similar sensations arise when getting acquainted with the Gear S2 interface - at first you will have to get used to it. After one or two days, you realize that the bezel is simply an alternative to the touch screen. Actions that can be performed through the rotating bezel are also available through the touch display. A slightly different situation with two side buttons. The top button allows you to go back a step, the bottom button returns to the "home" screen with a dial. But it also allows you to go to the application selection screen.
The Gear S2's touch interface is as intuitive as Android Wear models. The tactile feedback of the buttons and the rotary bezel are good. When the leftmost or rightmost items are reached, the vibration motor is activated, which well complements the overall positive impression of the interface.
Software
Unfortunately, Samsung's software stuffing is no longer so successful. Like the latest Gear models, the new watch relies on the Tizen operating system, which is "lighter" and less resource intensive than Android Wear. The user interface is intuitive, except that the display of installed applications can be called a weak link. If nine programs or less are installed, they are all displayed on one screen. If the number of applications increases, and it is difficult to do without it, new screens will be added to the index; from the very beginning there are already three points. The corresponding icons are located on the edge of the display, so most of the screen area is not used. It seems to us that Samsung does not interfere with choosing a different approach, although it is hardly worth copying the Apple application screen.
An important component of the platform are different dials, from the simplest to the futuristic. In most cases, users can change the look of the watch face, although customization usually comes down to colors or additional information displayed, such as battery level, date, or number of steps taken.
Access to the main settings is done very well. Wipe on the dial brings up a menu where you can adjust the brightness, control music playback and turn on the "do not disturb" mode. You will also receive information about the connection status and battery level.
Two "weak links": the list of applications is not implemented very well, the number of available applications is small.
What the Gear S2 lacks are ported popular apps. The range can be called wide, news and weather applications, fitness programs are available, but many are focused on American users. I would like to see more applications that are focused on the Russian user. There are similar ones in the Gear App Store, but they often lack the usual comfort and features.
At least all the main scenarios of the application are closed: there is a calendar, a stopwatch, a smartphone search, the S Voice voice assistant and various small utilities. But the quality is very different. For example, Bing-based maps display slowly, with delays and jerks. Voice memos can only be recorded when a smartphone is connected. Finally, the design of the calendar is not user friendly.
A separate issue concerns the connection between smartwatches and smartphones. It's nice that Samsung has removed the restriction to use only its own models - Gear S2 is supported by all Android devices with version 4.4 or higher. To establish communication and operation, you will need the Gear application, which, after installation, adds two more programs. The procedure is pretty much the same as in the case of Android Wear: Bluetooth pairing confirmation, activation of the alarm function, etc.
Hidden deep within the app is wireless LAN support. It can also be used to link the watch and the non-Bluetooth companion app. At least theories. In practice, everything is not so successful. The fact is that the Gear S2 and the smartphone must be on the same Wi-Fi network. Cause: The SmartWatch uses the wireless network only to communicate with the phone, without the Internet. Here, of course, Android Wear is still ahead.
In daily use
In our daily work, we encountered some features, both positive and negative. The first is the reliable delivery of alerts. Gear S2 always received messages from popular services on the smartphone, including Facebook or WhatsApp. Of course, for this, the appropriate application must be installed on the Gear. And if you have small fingers, you can even answer on the watch screen. But for an adult hand, the T9 keys on the screen are too small, you have to deal with a lot of errors.
Samsung has shown attention to detail. Notifications do not clutter the screen, but are available one after another counterclockwise. So with the help of the bezel you can switch between them, everything is simple and clear. If you rotate the bezel clockwise, you will get access to selected information. This could include the calendar, weather, upcoming appointments, and heart rate.
The integration of health and fitness monitoring turned out to be quite pleasant. Here, SmartWatch not only collects sensor information, but also allows the user to enter additional data. For example, the amount of liquid you drink. However, a detailed analysis is not carried out, only general information. We liked the presentation of data - for example, the clock displays how much time you were active during the day. There is also a small drawback here. In some places, the display simply does not fit all the text. At best, this leads to strange abbreviations, at worst, the ends of words are lost. And the reason lies just in the round screen.
If you use the fitness features intensively, sooner or later you will come across two more drawbacks. The pre-installed S Health app offers very limited data export options - in particular, it is not possible to export to Google Fit. But there is a more serious “minus”: the counting of steps is very inaccurate. In our tests, the error was up to 50%. More accurate results are obtained when connected to a smartphone. The absence of a GPS receiver is also not entirely clear, which would obviously not interfere with the “sporty” Gear S2 model.
By turning on the screen, on the contrary, the correct operation of the sensors is visible. False positives are very rare. In addition, the display quickly turns off if the watch is in a position that is not typical for screen readers.
Conclusion
So far, smartwatches are selling like hot cakes. There are many reasons for this, but one thing is true for all the models presented: a successful mixture of functions and capabilities has not yet been achieved. Android Wear watches suffer from software that is not fully adapted to round displays, making it difficult to manage applications. Among the shortcomings of the Apple Watch are the high price, controversial design and exclusive work only with the iPhone. Samsung tried to circumvent the shortcomings of competitors. And the Korean company has really done a lot to get ahead.
The watch supports not only Galaxy smartphones anymore, perhaps someday iOS support will also appear. The design is very nice, the software works well, the controls are also very convenient. But over time, you come across more and more shortcomings that interfere with work. The interface is not adapted in places, many favorite applications do not have versions for Tizen, and without a permanent connection to the Gear S2 smartphone, they provide few additional functions besides the watch itself.
The swivel bezel might be a Samsung innovation, but in the end it's just another extra feature. It is well integrated into system management, but in almost all cases you can do without it.
On the other hand, the bezel often makes it easier to navigate the system. All the main functions can be quickly reached without wandering through the menu, except that with the installation of a large number of applications, convenience is lost. Again, the shortcomings may be fixed with an upcoming firmware update. Whether the update will be able to fix the large error of the pedometer is unknown. Here, it seems to us, Samsung missed the mark in positioning the Gear S2 for the target audience. Motorola and Sony did better.
If you compare the two models, then almost nothing changes. The Gear S2 and the classic version are built to last, with almost three days of battery life above average. If you use an Android smartphone and are interested in the theme of "smart watches", then Samsung can be considered one of the candidates - if you like the look.
Disadvantages of Samsung Gear S2 (classic):
- Only branded bracelets can be used (Gear S2)
- Incomplete WLAN functionality
- Poor choice of apps for Tizen
- Inaccurate definition of steps
- Too dark display
- Fitness Data Export Limits
Smart watches have recently appeared on the shelves of electronics stores. The Korean company decided not to use Android Wear in the new model, instead opting for Tizen OS as the software platform. Since this operating system is relatively new, there are not very many applications here either. Medgadgets editors today present the best apps for Samsung Gear S.
HERE
Nokia's HERE maps look and work much better than most people think. Now the Nokia map service can compete on equal terms with similar products from Apple and Google. Now HERE is available for Tizen OS, and here it is possible to cache the necessary maps, which will be available offline.
Nike+
Not only Nokia decided to offer its software for Samsung product. Nike also has something to present. This is the popular Nike+ app that works right out of the box.
The GPS module in Gear S provides the ability to track the exact trajectory of the user's movement during training. There is also a built-in music player and a heart rate sensor.
Trainer
This application allows you to conduct a complete workout, offering a range of training plans designed by experts. At the same time, you can track the statistics of training activity, monitor your own progress and share information with friends/colleagues.
Budgit
What is a smart watch without a home accounting program? Of course, a watch is one of the most convenient ways to keep track of spending and savings. You can set a budget for spending, and monitor the limit, you can present information in graphical form.
Travel Translator
One of the best applications in the Tizen suite. It is highly appreciated by users because the program can translate the speech of a person speaking another language in real time. You can also do reverse translation.
There are currently 37 languages available that the application "understands".
Life360
The application is necessary for those who are worried about the whereabouts of loved ones and relatives. Using the application, you can send a message asking for help, as well as track the location of another person (for example, a child). Life360 also has a support service called Life Adviser.
