The overall look of the Gear 2 is certainly more fitness watch than one you’d match with a suit, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Unfortunately, it isn’t particularly durable: mine has already picked up a small tear.
It doesn’t become overly hot and sweaty during extended workouts and it’s comfortable enough to wear for extended periods. I like the strap, and it fits in with the more sporty look of the watch. While the Classic model has a standard 22mm watch strap, this version uses a proprietary connection, so it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to swap out the rubber strap for one your own.
The Gear 2 isn’t overly thick either, sitting only 11.3mm off my wrist. Both buttons sit on either side of a microphone on one side of the smartwatch. There’s one for jumping back a step and another for heading to the homescreen. The circular display is surrounded by a metal bezel, with two clicky buttons. It isn’t in the same league as Huawei’s Watch, but it’s one of the better smartwatches on the market. I can’t comment on the pricier Classic (£299), but the standard model (£249) looks and feels superb. The Gear S2 is available in three versions: the standard, more sporty model that I’m using, and a slightly classier one called the Gear S2 Classic a 3G enabled smartwatch will arrive later. Apple started the trend, and Samsung has continued it. Smartwatch manufacturers are no longer happy to make only a single model, instead churning out multiple varieties at varying prices. Samsung Gear S2 – Design and rotating bezel
#SAMSUNG S GEAR 2 SPORT ANDROID#
However, by failing to opt for the constantly improving Android Wear OS, and instead choosing to stick with Tizen, Samsung’s Gear S2 feels hamstrung in many areas. Instead of simply following the crowd, Samsung’s headline rotating bezel results in a smartwatch that’s the easiest to navigate yet.
#SAMSUNG S GEAR 2 SPORT SERIES#
The Gear S2, with its circular display, is the first in the series that actually looks good. I’m happy to report that in pretty much every area it achieves this. The vast array of Gear-branded wearables have been bulky, ugly and running an operating system devoid of killer features and decent apps.
Samsung’s back catalogue of smartwatches has been, to put it mildly, poor.