S GEAR 2 REVIEW ANDROID

The standard Gear S2 features a rubber strap, and a sporty aesthetic, while the Classic has a design which pays homage to more traditional timepieces, with a leather strap. The circular Gear S2 comes in two models, the standard model, reviewed here, and a 'Classic' one. A mantle that's been carried on by the multitude of smartwatches launched since the S2 arrived too. The Samsung Gear S2 continued the trend for attractive smartwatch design following the lead of the Apple Watch, Moto 360 and Pebble Round. It's a useful feature that allows you to view the time without needing to raise your arm and flick your wrist to wake the screen, as with the Apple Watch, though it does reduce battery life. In this mode the screen will dim after several seconds of inactivity, however, the time will still be displayed with a reduced interface.

S GEAR 2 REVIEW ANDROID

Just like ambient mode on Android Wear, the Gear S2 has an 'always on' screen option. It does make the watch appear a little more retro however. You'd think this has a negative effect on viewing angles, particular in sunlight, but that is not the case. There's a noticeable gap between the display and the top layer of glass on the screen. As it's AMOLED, the colours look lovely and saturated. I didn't have any problems viewing the watch in direct sunlight, usually keeping to the eighth brightness level (out of ten). Samsung claims the sAMOLED (that's not a typo, the S stands for Super) reflects one-fifth as much sunlight as regular AMOLED displays. In terms of functionality, it's hard to make a case for it being better or worse. It just looks more like a traditional, analogue watch. It's my opinion - and that of the TechRadar team in general - that circular displays are more aesthetically appealing than the square displays of the Apple Watch and Sony Smartwatch 3. It's visibly much sharper, and clearer as a result.

The pixel density really stands out when putting the Samsung Gear S2 next to other circular smartwatches of this generation (including the new Moto 360 and LG Watch Urbane). Thanks to the relatively small screen, this gives a pixel density of 302ppi, matching the 42mm Apple Watch's retina display. The device really impresses with a really high resolution of 360 x 360 pixels. Despite having a smaller screen than its rivals, it doesn't impact usability, at no point during my testing did I feel limited by the size. That makes it smaller than the displays on the Gear S3, Huawei Watch and Moto 360. The Samsung Gear S2 features a fully circular Super AMOLED touchscreen measuring 1.2-inches in diameter. Now you can buy the Gear S2 for around ВЈ219 ($150, AU$199.99) which is more than ВЈ100 cheaper than the Gear S3, Gear Sport and Apple Watch 3. The launch price was set at ВЈ249.99 ($299.99, around AU$428), and it was competitively priced against the Apple Watch and Moto 360 when it first came out. You'll find exact device compatibility information further on in this review. The Gear S2 is compatible with most Android phones and iPhones too. Unlike previous Samsung wearables, you don't need to be a Samsung phone user to use the Gear S2. But for now, let's look at the positives. Tizen also, however, leads to one of the devices biggest downfalls - it remains an immature developer platform, and it still lacks apps.

S-gear 2 review