Samsung Gear S2 Review – Watch Me Go Round

Smartwatches have become all the rage in the past two or so years, with examples from almost every major electronics manufacturer (and even some watch manufacturers) getting in on the action. Samsung, arguably one of the first companies in this wearable tech field, is back with a newer, rounder device, promising a sleeker, more inclusive experience. More about this after the break.

The Samsung Gear S2 comes out at a time when wearable tech has just started to come into mainstream acceptance (thanks a lot, Apple Watch). It is the successor to the Gear S, a massive 2.0”-diagonal beast of a Tizen watch that promised to do everything your phone can. 

Someone is obviously compensating for something.
Photo courtesy Cnet.com

Appearance

Compared to previous Gear watches, the S2 is not only gorgeous, but truly the most watch-like of the entire lineup so far, and even among fellow watches such as the other Android Wear watches and the Apple Watch. Regardless of whether it’s the standard plastic-build S2 or the stainless-steel S2 classic, it feels very solid and watch-like indeed.

For those who want an old-timey watch without the old-timeyness, there's the S2 classic.
Photo courtesy Daryll A.

The review version we got is the S2 classic, and it is undeniably one of the prettiest in the market today. Costing a cool PHP 2,000 more than the standard S2, the noted differences include a more ‘traditional’ looking bezel, and the option to use any 22mm watch strap on it – not to say that its default leather bands are nothing short of premium. The standard S2 is identical, but with a sportier look and with proprietary bands instead.

Comes in two sizes, too. How thoughtful, Samsung!
Photo courtesy Daryll A.

At the front you have a very crisp 360x360 sAMOLED display, with the typical Samsung flair, with deep blacks and saturated colors. Pixels can be made out, but this is mainly because of the display size, and isn’t really much of an issue.

You can almost pass it off for a regular watch - if you can explain that unearthly glowing coming from it.
Photo courtesy Daryll A.

Controls

The real star of the show with the S2 is the bezel control – easily one of the most satisfying (and polarizing) features of this device. 

Also, the closest thing to a Bond watch one can experience.
Photo courtesy Daryll A.

Android Wear users used to the wrist gestures for navigation might find the use of a physical control cumbersome, but for me the bezel control is perfect and intuitive – scrolling and navigating for it feels solid, natural and very precise in comparison with touch scrolling. Of course, this device is still very much touch-capable. There are also two navigation buttons on the right side, which serve as the back and home keys, respectively.

Performance

Inside you have your typical smartwatch internals – a dual-core Exynos 3250 at 1 GHz and 512 MB of RAM, plus 4 GB of storage if you want to keep a small playlist on your watch as a standalone. It packs a 250 mAh battery which provides decent battery life – I managed to squeeze close to two days on a single charge while always paired and with the screen always on.

And they make a pretty good team, don't they? #teamqicharging
Photo courtesy Daryll A.

The device is Qi-wireless charging compatible and comes in the box with a wireless charging cradle. 

Makes for a nifty nightstand, too.
Photo courtesy Daryll A.

It also features a Power Saving mode not unlike what you see on Samsung’s other devices, grayscaling the screen and leaving some basic controls. All the basic radios are there too – Bluetooth 4.1, NFC and Wi-Fi.

Together, the device performs very smoothly with no noticeable lag. Its OS, Samsung’s latest version of Tizen, is a refreshed, simplified version of its predecessor (much like how this year’s TouchWiz is cut and streamlined), and for the first time, it’s compatible with any Android device running 4.4 Kitkat and above.

It's smoother. Cleaner. Rounder.
Photo courtesy Daryll A.

Daily Use

In the short time I’ve used the Gear S2, I’ve come to appreciate the sheer simplicity of the device. Having known several friends with Android Wear devices, the down-to-earth nature of the S2 is surprising and very welcome. 

The interface is simple – scroll or swipe left for notifications, and right for widgets. The app drawer can be accessed by pressing the home button, and tapping twice opens a programmable action (in my case, the music player), and basic controls can be found by swiping down from the top. Texts and notifications can be replied to, either with canned responses, voice texting (still pretty shoddy though), and surprisingly, either bezel-controlled or T9 (as in, like, on old cellphones) keypad – while I don’t recommend fiddling too much with those methods, they’re there if you need them. 

Let's play a little game....
Photo courtesy Daryll A.

Ultimately, I love the device for how non-intrusive it is – perhaps moreso than the competiton.

Final Words

The Gear S2 is a thing of beauty. It’s simple, unique, and straight to the point. For the Android fan in you, it might not be your cup of tea – the lack of Google integration might leave you wanting – but for Samsung users, and for those who want a no-frills experience but don’t want to regress to a Pebble, this device might be for you. Personally, I’m left in want after my short time with it, and there’s a very distinct chance that I would avail of it if given the ability to do so.

My boss said I had it for review for five days. I was totally hoping they'd forget about it.
Photo courtesy Daryll A.

The Gear S2 and S2 classic are out in Samsung stores and other major stores right now for PHP 12,999 and 14,999, respectively.