Smart watch Samsung Gear 2 standard. Smartphone apps: Gear Manager and Gear Apps. The best on the market, with a lot of problems

The Samsung Gear s2 smartwatch is the sixth released representative of the company, which is improving in the field of wearable devices. This model has a pleasant appearance, compact size, works for a long time without recharging and has an ideal control method. These and other features are discussed below.

Let's look at the characteristics of the smartwatch:

• screen: touchscreen, 1.2 inches, Super AMOLED, 360×360 pixels, 302 ppi;
• processor: dual-core, frequency up to 1 GHz;
• RAM: 512 MB;
• built-in memory: 4 GB;
• communication: Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth 4.1 LE;
• battery: capacity 250mAh;
• protection standard: IP68;
• Sensors: gyroscope, accelerometer, barometer, sensors heart rate, illumination, acceleration;
• dimensions: 42.2×8×11.4 mm;
• watch weight: 47 g without strap.

Equipment and appearance

The gear s2 device is delivered in a tight round box. Inside is the watch itself, a size L strap (on the device), an additional S bracelet, a charging dock and instructions.

The gadget looks minimalistic and tasteful: a round display, a metal bezel that rotates in different directions, a rubber (for the gear s2 sports sm r720 version) or leather (for the gear classic sm r770) strap. The watch case is made of metal, 316L stainless steel. The matte finish and smooth shapes make the device universal, suitable for any wardrobe style. There are only 2 function keys on the watch panel - “back” and “home”, located on the right. The rubber bracelet does not look cheap, it looks neat. If it gets dirty, it can be easily wiped off with a damp cloth or washed running water.

The IP68 protection standard ensures dust and water resistance. You can safely wash your hands in the watch, take a shower, and can withstand immersion to a depth of 1.5 meters for half an hour. After these tests, there were no problems with the Gear s2.

The quality of fastening parts and assembly of the Samsung Gear s2 smart watch is excellent. If you don't know that the strap is removable, you might think that the bracelet is fused directly into the case. It doesn’t wobble anywhere, all components are securely fixed.

Ease of use

When walking, a smart watch from Samsung is practically invisible, comfortable to wear, and invisible under clothing. Additional comfort in operation is created by a rotating wheel that provides menu navigation. In cool weather, you won’t need to take off your gloves to interact with the watch, and the screen won’t get dirty again.

Thanks to such a moving element, the manufacturer was able to reduce the diameter of the watch screen. 1.2 inches seems small compared to other competing models, but it is enough, since you don’t have to hit the right spot with your finger.

The picture on the display is clear and rich, with a good viewing angle. In the settings you can set the operating mode: you can make the screen always on, or vice versa. In the latter case, the clock backlight is turned on with a hand gesture or a couple of taps on the display. There are 10 gradations of brightness, which is adjusted automatically; it can also be adjusted in the parameters. The “outdoor” mode increases the brightness of the backlight and the text becomes readable on a sunny day.

Processor capabilities and memory

Samsung Gear watch has 512 MB random access memory and 4 GB built-in, where you can download music. You cannot connect a Bluetooth headset; compatibility is only with smartphones. Processor 2-core, clock frequency up to 1 GHz, everything is the same as in previous models, no changes have occurred, but more is not required.

The watch operates at high speed, responds instantly to touch, and there is no freezing. Applications open quickly. There is no way to connect additional sensors to the watch; you have to be content with the built-in ones.

One significant difference from the previous version: now you can’t make or receive calls from the gadget. The function was very useful for drivers, or when their hands are full and the call needs to be answered urgently. According to buyers, this is a strong drawback. For example, Samsung Galaxy Gear 2 neo there is such a possibility.

Battery

The set includes a special charger – a docking station; the watch is placed on it. After 2.5 hours the battery is already full.

The battery life of 2-3 days declared by the manufacturer for the Samsung Gear S2 smart watch is quite achievable, it all depends on how actively you use the functionality. If you don’t turn off the gadget at night, leave reminders from social networks and light up the screen when they arrive, it will last about 2 days. The result is not bad, but the Samsung Gear 2 neo smartwatch takes the lead - up to 5 days under standard loads.

The power saving mode will help extend the operating time without recharging; when activated, the display turns black and white, most notifications do not arrive, and there is no pedometer.

Read also:

Wrist pedometer with pulse and blood pressure measurement – ​​Rating of models

Functionality, capabilities, features

First of all, the Samsung Gear S2 is a gadget, and only after that is a watch. Let's look at the possibilities and advantages. This is what the device can please you with.

1. Availability of a pedometer.
2. Pulse meter.
3. Sleep and activity monitoring.
4. "Anti-loss".
5. Alarm clock, timer.
6. Receiving notifications on the watch screen.
7. Different dials.
8. Lots of games and applications.

Now about the main properties separately.

Pedometer

The most useful of functions. There is a measurement error; with every 10,000 steps another 10% is added. For those who need an average result, it will be suitable, but pedants will be disappointed. The sensors independently switch the mode depending on the type of workout: walking, running, cycling and others. If a person has been sitting too long, the smart watch will remind you that it’s time to stretch and move a little.

Heart rate monitor

The gadget's pulse sensor allows you to determine your heart rate, and in 9 out of 10 cases the result is correct. Sometimes the watch for some reason does not measure the indicator, although the gadget is tightly tightened on the hand. The good news is that in most cases the work is correct.

The device can measure both constant mode, and upon request, this is set in the parameters. If you need regular readings during training, it is recommended to fasten the watch strap tighter for more accurate results.

Sleep motinoring

Sleep tracking works great, just like in professional devices. They catch the time of falling asleep and getting up correctly.

All information is available in the S Health application; in addition, the program displays statistics, builds graphs, and sets goals that need to be achieved. The capabilities of S Health are similar to Google Fit or Apple Health, there are no obvious disadvantages or advantages over them.

Anti-loss

Smart watch Gir S2 can turn on a sound signal (ringtone) on a smartphone, so if suddenly the phone is lost in the apartment, “Anti-loss” can help. Even if silent mode is turned on, the gadget ignores it and still plays the song. You can search for a watch in the same way, but since it does not have a speaker, it will simply vibrate.

Games

GIR classic watch sm r770 supports range interesting games. In most cases, they are not necessary, but if you are standing in a long line, you can play for 5 minutes. We recommend Bezel Reflex: a ball moves on the screen and changes its color, and there are several platforms around it; by rotating the rim, you need to match the tile with the corresponding shade of the ball. Most games on the gadget take a long time to load, about 15-20 seconds, so they won’t always be necessary. Instead of waiting for the download, it’s easier to take your smartphone out of your pocket.

Proprietary operating system

The sm r770 smart watch runs on the proprietary Tizen operating system, which has a positive effect on long-term autonomy. The manufacturer has achieved smoothness in its development, and this important criterion. Of course, there are also disadvantages. Android OS allows you to install much more truly necessary programs than Tizen.

The smartwatch market appeared quite a long time ago, but devices of this class only gained at least some mass popularity with the advent of Pebble. A young startup that has spun the flywheel has pushed tech giants to explore a new niche. Many companies have already made their mark in this segment, but most of them have not done anything interesting with this type of device. However, products mature and take on an increasingly complete form. Samsung Gear S2 performs exactly in that adult league.

Samsung has been dabbling in the wearables space for a long time, and the Gear S2 is in fact the company's sixth smartwatch. Let's figure out what the Koreans managed to do correctly on the sixth attempt, and where the engineers still have serious work to do.

Characteristics

• round touch display 1.2″ Super AMOLED, 360×360, 302 ppi
• RAM: 512 MB, ROM: 4 GB
• Bluetooth 4.1 LE, NFC, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
• microphone, gyroscope, accelerometer, heart rate sensor, light sensor, barometer
• battery: 250 mAh
• protection against moisture and dust: IP68
• dimensions: 42.3×49.8×11.4 mm, weight: 47 g (without strap)

Appearance

Samsung Gear S2 for the Ukrainian market is delivered in a round box, thereby hinting at the shape of the screen. In the box, the user will find the watch itself, a charging dock, and a smaller replaceable strap.

The front-facing watch itself looks minimalistic: a display, a corrugated edging and a metal bezel that can be twisted in any direction. The watch case is made of metal, stainless steel (316L) with matte anodizing. I like the overall simplicity of the design, because the eye does not “stumble” over pretentious elements, and you can wear this watch with any outfit.

The device contains two control keys (“Back” and “Home”) located on the right. If you are used to wearing your watch on your right hand, this is not a problem - the interface can be turned upside down, and the buttons are still easy to feel and press.

The rubber strap included with the silver watch is white; the material does not feel cheap to the touch, as was the case with the first generation Pebble. Of course, the strap gets dirty, but it’s easy to clean it - we did it with wet wipes, but you can easily get by with running water.

Samsung claims compliance with the IP68 standard, which says: the Gear S2 is not afraid of dust, and it will survive immersion in fresh water one and a half meters for half an hour without consequences. We didn’t look for the mark at which the watch would fail, but we periodically “accidentally” washed it from the tap when washing our hands, drowned it in a basin a couple of times, and once even took a shower with it (this really was an accident). No hints of failure were found.

The build quality and fit of parts are excellent, as one would expect from a flagship gadget. The proprietary strap fastening perfectly secures the bracelet, and the design of the latch itself eliminates even minimal play. If you don’t know that the straps can be removed, it will seem that the engineers fused silicone directly into the case.

Convenience

The rotating bezel around the perimeter of the display is the main control element smart Samsung watch: It is used to navigate menus, lists, and also acts as a tool for adjusting various sliders and serves as a controller in a number of games.

All competitors in the wearable electronics market use two control options: either a touch screen and keys, or just keys. Samsung has added a new control method that solves several problems at once: there is no need to smear skin oil on the screen and then clean it, the content is always in front of the user’s eyes (which means the display can be made a little smaller, this will not affect the final convenience ), on cool days you won’t have to take off your gloves to interact with gadgets.

This shell interaction tool is the best on the smartwatch market

The ring rotates almost effortlessly, but its movement is so precise that there are practically no accidental jumps through the desired menu; you just need to understand how far to scroll the bezel to get to the desired screen. The round interface is initially tailored to new principle interaction, which became possible thanks to the Tizen OS, the development of which is fully promoted by the gadget manufacturer.

The movable element allowed the company to install small display without compromising convenience - 1.2 inches seems small compared to competitors, but since the user does not need to constantly poke at the screen, the shown surface is enough for comfortable use. Small display also allowed the company not to produce huge boilers, but to make a completely neat gadget that looks good on an elegant female hand, and also suits guys whose hands don’t look like logs.

The regular version of the Gear S2 received a non-standard strap fastening - a dubious decision that Apple is also guilty of. Of course, one could assume that the manufacturer simply plans to make additional profit on the straps (1,599 UAH per piece, for a second), but this conspiracy theory does not stick with the Gear S2 Classic, which received a standard 22 mm mount, and that’s all. only those presented use universal bracelets.

Release an adapter for 22mm straps, don't torture consumers

For the last two and a half years I have been actively using Pebble first generations, the body of which is made of plastic. During this unusually hot summer, it turned out that my skin reacts to the material of the pioneer of the smart watch market with an allergy. And during three weeks of testing the Gear S2, there were no hints of irritation, despite profuse sweating in the midst of running around the city. But do not forget that this is individual for each person, so pay attention to the reaction of your body in the first days of using such devices.

What devices does it work with?

Samsung says its Gear S2 smartwatch supports any Android smartphone running 4.4 KitKat or later, as long as it has 1.5GB of RAM or more. Our testing on 6 devices, starting from the most Samsung Galaxy S6 and ending with the Chinese ones showed that the manufacturer is not deceiving.

The stability of the Bluetooth connection can be called satisfactory: the connection periodically disappeared and automatically returned, and auto-switching to Wi-Fi worked well only in close proximity to the access point (up to 10 m), otherwise the watch constantly reported being connected/disconnected from the network.

Functions and software

The Gear S2 is a gadget first and foremost, and a watch second. Consequently, their capabilities are at the head of the table when choosing a device.

Pedometer

The step counter is one of the most useful features of any portable device - it forces you to walk more in an attempt to achieve higher and higher results (achievements!). This won't be difficult with the Gear S2, as our testing shows the watch consistently adds steps - on average we're talking about about an additional 10% for every 10 thousand. Considering that we are not measuring a dose of medicine here, then this level of error is quite acceptable, but pedants will be disappointed.

A set of sensors allows you to automatically detect whether you are walking, running, cycling or sitting still. If you do the latter for a particularly long time, the watch will remind you that it’s time to tear yourself away from your chair and take a few steps.

Pulse

The pulse sensor works mediocre - the watch periodically cannot calculate this parameter, and there is no logic in the failures: the skin on the hand is tightly tightened, the skin is light, there are no tattoos, but sometimes the reading works perfectly, and periodically it gives an alert that the information could not be obtained. I'm glad that 9 out of 10 attempts work correctly.

The watch can both track data on a regular basis and manually. If you monitor your heart rate during sports activities, we recommend tightening the strap to avoid failures.

Sleep tracking

Sleep tracking works no better (or worse) than that of specialized competitors such as Misfit or Jawbone - the watch detects the time of falling asleep more or less correctly, but when you wake up it often adds extra, which is associated with the desire to “lounge in bed some more.” The accuracy of deep sleep tracking is difficult to assess, but the results obtained are consistent with competitors.

All data is synchronized with the proprietary S Health program, where you can not only view the progress of training, heart rate, sleep time and the number of steps taken, but also enter other data related to your body and health. The application's capabilities are close to competing Google Fit and Apple Health; there are no special advantages or disadvantages over them, at least for the vast majority of users.

Search for smartphone and watch

Smart watches can activate a sound signal on a smartphone (the melody set for the call is played), and in the Gear Manager application you can search for a watch from a smartphone (in case you lost it on your wrist). Since the device does not have a speaker, the watch will vigorously vibrate.

If the smartphone is switched to silent mode, the search from the watch will ignore this restriction, and the sound will be forcibly activated.

Alarm clock and timer

Smart watches can wake you up with vibration. This is extremely convenient both for some activities (for example, when boiling an egg) and for getting up in the morning without the risk of disturbing the sleep of your significant other or a small child. By the way, since the Gear S2 lasts more than a day on a single charge, the alarm clock will most likely become a popular feature if you are used to sleeping with your watch on.

A small minus is that the vibration of the watch is rather weak; if you are fast asleep, the Gear S2 may not reach you. We recommend checking the effectiveness several times in pairs with a traditional alarm clock, on which you set a later wake-up time.

Notifications

The most important functionality that smart watches bring is the display of notifications and the ability to somehow respond to them. The Gear S2 is okay with this: the user not only sees push notifications and can reject them (on the watch and smartphone at the same time), but also gets the opportunity to fully respond. The latter is implemented by three methods: templates and emoticons, keyboard (telephone and qwerty), and voice.

The dictated answer turns into text; S Voice is responsible for this function. In practice, it is almost impossible to use - it recognizes short phrases (3-4 words) well, but as soon as the user tries to dictate a sentence, success awaits him only in 20% of cases, the rest of the time incidents happen. The program may completely ignore what you said there and ask you to dictate the message again. And then he will misunderstand what you said. In English, the probability of success is higher, about 40%, but how often do you answer relatives and friends in English?

Despite the presence of a built-in microphone, you cannot answer calls with the Gear S2, since there is no room in the design for a speaker. However, when incoming call You can click on the green handset, after which the call will be answered on your smartphone. Is it useful? It’s unlikely, because in a car the button to answer a call when connected to a headset is usually located on the steering wheel, and in other scenarios you’ll still have to take the device in your hand.

A proprietary smartphone application allows you to choose which programs to receive notifications from and which to ignore. In general, nothing new, everything is the same as the competitors.

Dials

Samsung Gear S2, although smart, is still a watch, which means it can display the time, and it does it in style thanks to the support of a huge number of skins available in the app store. Many watch faces support significant customization options, from the color of the hands to the information on the watch face itself.

You can also use your own images as a backdrop for the watch, which must first be downloaded to the Gear S2 through the proprietary application.

Navigation

Standard navigation is based on Here maps; for it to work, the appropriate application must be installed on your smartphone. The principle of operation is no different from what we have seen from competitors: we set a route, then follow the prompts. When the user is 20 m (when navigating on foot) from the turning point, the watch vibrates slightly and an indicator appears on the screen in which direction to turn.

Navigation is a little annoying when starting: the application takes an incredibly long time to load (it takes 20-30 seconds from clicking on the icon to starting walking!), and GPS data is not always picked up the first time. But if you managed to launch step-by-step navigation, then everything works fine.

NFC

The Gear S2 smartwatch contains a built-in NFC module, which, among other things, allows for contactless payments. Ukrainian consumers can use this function with the Privat24 application: we activate NFC payment in the program on the smartphone, install the proprietary application on the watch, and follow the instructions in the program. Then we simply pay for purchases in any stores or trips on the Kiev metro (payment terminals must support PayPass).

An important detail - if your smartphone does not have an NFC chip, then you will not be able to activate contactless payment; there are currently no ways to get around this problem, a PrivatBank employee clarified the site.

Music

Smart watches can store on the built-in storage (4 GB) not only applications, but also photos (it’s not clear why), as well as music. The latter makes sense for those who, for example, do not want to take their smartphone for a run or to the gym - let’s connect wireless headphones or an external speaker via Bluetooth and enjoy your favorite songs.

Important: if the music player blocks data from indexing (the same “Play Music”), then it will not be possible to transfer such files to the watch. That is, you need to download files to your smartphone’s storage directly from your computer or through a browser. This problem could be circumvented by having proprietary service applications, but Google, as well as other competitors, are in no hurry to release software for Tizen.

Games

The app store for smartwatches contains a certain (small) number of games different levels interesting and with the obligatory mediocrity of the visual component. Of course, games on smart watches are not needed, but for a queue where you only have to wait for a minute, it will do. We recommend Bezel Reflex, the screen displays a ball that jumps up and down and changes color, and your task is to rotate the platforms, placing tiles of the corresponding color under it.

Most of the games from the store seemed completely pointless due to the decent loading time - some projects require the user to wait 15 seconds before the gameplay starts, which does not at all fit into the general concept of instant use in the queue. For greater anticipation, you can take your smartphone out of your pocket, enjoying a much larger display and advanced graphics.

Branded application and software store

Samsung traditionally makes high-quality hardware, which either amazes with its manufacturability or delights with its exceptional precision. However, with the company’s software, as a rule, everything is not so rosy. And this is true not only for older versions of the proprietary TouchWiz shell, but also for Gear Manager, an application that serves as a companion to the watch.

Basic functionality (updating firmware, connecting to a watch, managing notification permissions) is implemented well, although in some places it is not obvious. The application looks more like a website than native software, but this is more an aesthetic perception than a real disadvantage.

But the company's programmers seem to have made every effort to create the most problematic software store on the planet. And, honestly, there is a suspicion that they succeeded.

Problems with the store are not constant, they occur a couple of times a week, but when they happen, you want to throw this technically excellent device out the window

What's wrong with program screenshots? Why do some of them only load one frame, although five are attached in the description?

By what logic does clicking on “Installed” under a previously downloaded program launch, excuse the tautology, re-download the application? For what? For what?

Oh, and this:

Above you see an example of how the S Health app not only needs a SIM card to activate in order to synchronize your activity, it also needs to be inserted into the first slot!

Let's add to this the impossibility of viewing all programs from one developer (even Samsung itself or the same Yandex - there is no such category as "other developer programs"), the amazing slowness of the interface (a web program, no less) and simply a most ingenious limitation - downloading programs from the store are interrupted on some smartphones (for example) if you leave it! No, seriously, how could you do this?

Technical problems are annoying, but not for long - you won't have to keep coming back to the store because new software doesn't appear often.

Tizen

Samsung Gear S2 runs the proprietary Tizen OS, which has a positive effect on decent operating time. In addition, the manufacturer managed to achieve a highly smooth interface, which is encouraging. More precisely, the smoothness occasionally disappears, you literally see a slide show on the screen, but this happened only twice during the entire testing period, so we’ll chalk it up to an exception.

However, the proprietary solution has its problems: the number third party programs small, and most of what is in the store is generally useless. It’s good that the platform is closely integrated with Android, making it easy to respond to notifications in Telegram even without a proprietary program for Tizen.

Things are not so smooth with iOS

Smart watches are not a competitor to the Apple Watch at all - the Koreans have not released Gear Manager for iOS (although they promised back in January 2016), which is why iPhone owners simply cannot use this gadget (or rather, all functionality will be limited to push to the watch to the extent available in the notification shade). And this is Samsung’s mistake, since the accessory itself turned out to be extremely interesting; some Apple users would definitely try it round clock from Koreans instead of expensive Apple Watch. Or did Apple itself not let the program into the App Store? (Actually no, not now, but when the app will appear in the app store is unknown).

Working hours

Of course, when initial setup and software downloads, as well as detailed consideration capacity, the battery gave up in less than 10 hours, but as soon as our sample began to be used in normal mode, everything immediately became much better - the average autonomy was two days and another 10–15 hours on the third. For 10 hours of sleep, the device loses about 12% of its charge, while sleep tracking is active.

The charging speed from 8% to 100% through the standard charger took 2 hours 43 minutes, which is not very good at first glance if you always want to track your sleep. On the other hand, an hour of charging lasts for a full working day and night, so the long energy recovery time is more likely to be attributed to specific features than disadvantages.

The Samsung flagship is far from the reference Pebble, which works under our load for about 6 days, but these devices are not competitors to each other - the Korean device should be compared with solutions on Android Wear and watchOS, which work less on a single charge. It turns out that the Gear S2 is a long-liver in its class.

Competitors

Samsung Gear S2 is a flagship device running Tizen, which does not prevent them from competing with smartwatch manufacturers under Android control Wear. Now there is a clear leader on this platform – Huawei Watch. Chinese smartwatches offer maximum functions invented for the OS, an excellent 1.4-inch screen and a pleasant appearance. At the same time, the size of the display does not allow them to be called compact, and the price is threatening - 9999 UAH. The only clear advantage of Huawei Watch is the number of programs written for Android Wear.

Apple Watch

Huawei Watch

Apple Watch, as the only device that fully interacts with iOS, is available in several versions, starting from just over 10 thousand UAH for a compact model. This device It's going to be an uphill battle against the much more affordable Gear S2 once the company releases the iOS app. Of course, this will still not be full support at the system level, but the noticeable difference in price and appearance will certainly play into the hands of the Koreans.

The best on the market, with a lot of problems

The Gear S2 smart watch is officially available in Ukraine for UAH 6,999, which is almost the cheapest accessory of its kind in the country. Moreover, even if the choice was wider, the Samsung device would still need to be compared with the flagship platforms: Apple Watch (from 10,399 UAH) and Huawei Watch (9,999 UAH).

What we have? Samsung Gear S2 work longer than the named competitors, although functionally they are no different, they also contain premium body materials, and they don’t lose out in appearance (and in my opinion they even win by a serious margin). Moreover, the rotating bezel and mechanical buttons allow you to perform most trivial actions without touching the screen, that is, the glass remains intact, and with the onset of cold weather this will bring another bonus - Gear S2 owners will not have to take off their gloves to view new notifications. Today, no company has a better solution for clock management.

The size of the display, coupled with the bezel, remains sufficient for comfortable control of the gadget, and the dimensions themselves make the device universal, especially against the backdrop of the massive Huawei Watch, which not every girl will be ready to put on her elegant wrist, fearing that huge cauldrons will simply They'll break her arm.

All the advantages of the Samsung Gear S2 are countered by a proprietary strap fastening (this is not Apple, there are few Chinese analogues for Korean smartwatches), inferior software for the smartphone, as well as a meager application store. And if the fastening is more of a claim to “find fault,” then the software is very frustrating.

Without activity in the store, it will be bad in the future, especially with the release of new services and messengers, which will continue to appear primarily for the more popular and already known to watchOS developers with Android Wear, while Tizen will continue to be kept afloat by a group of enthusiasts, unofficial customers and developers, whom Samsung pays millions in royalties.

Is it worth buying

The lack of software will be important only to active users who constantly want to install something new; for the rest, the existing set of software will be more than enough. In reality, a proprietary smartphone application is used extremely rarely (ideally, only once, to configure the device and download the necessary software from the store). There are fitness functions, the operating time is decent, the appearance is not for everyone, but those who like the round display will remain satisfied even after months of use. And the bezel in practice turned out to be not a far-fetched excess, but an extremely logical and convenient way to interact with the interface.

You don’t use an iPhone or a smartphone with Windows Phone as your main device, you don’t like to fill all your desktops with programs that are good if you run them once, and you also experience aesthetic pleasure when you look at the Samsung Gear S2? Take it without hesitation, especially since this is the cheapest flagship among smartwatches.

Basically don't use it Samsung appliances? Is your home filled with appliances with an apple on the logo? Do you feel the dire need to download the latest beta version? Move on, the Gear S2 won't deliver even a tenth of the fun you can get with a smartwatch running watchOS or Android Wear.

4 reasons to buy the Gear S2:

• excellent build, nice appearance
• Rotating bezel is an almost ideal method of controlling a smart watch
• compact dimensions without compromising the information content of the screen
• Decent operating time on a single charge

4 reasons not to buy the Gear S2:

• small amount of software
• you have an iPhone or a smartphone with Windows Phone
• you want to buy a much more expensive Gear S3
• you've convinced yourself that a smartwatch is a useless toy

P.S. Gear S3

Samsung at IFA 2016 a new generation of watches, Gear S3. Current models slightly larger, their appearance is more brutal. By the way, they cost significantly more (one and a half times). The manufacturer assured at the presentation that the Gear S2 will be sold and developed in parallel with the new product, which means that if you are more inclined to the hero of the review, you can buy them without fear that the Koreans will not release updates and will stop supporting the device in the near future.

When the patent war between Apple and Samsung was in full swing, a picture was floating around the Internet. On the left were Samsung smartphones before iPhone release, in the middle is the iPhone 2G, and on the right are Samsung smartphones that came out after the iPhone and are suspiciously similar to it. History, albeit to a lesser extent, repeated itself with tablets. But by the time Apple introduced the Watch to the world, the situation had changed.

Many companies have released “smart” watches, and not even just one, Google wrote an OS for them, and Samsung was among the pioneers, experimenting and imagining about design and hardware. The Koreans adapted the Tizen operating system to work with watches and, like Apple later, banned the watch from working with competitors’ smartphones. And finally, the Apple watch appeared, which some called a breakthrough, others - a failure. Six months later, Samsung responded with “smart” watch Gear S2.

You've probably seen the presentation of the Gear S2 - aluminum case, round display, digital bezel. Still remembered round icons a la you-know-who, but the talk about copying and stealing ideas didn’t go any further. The new Samsung watches are very different from their competitors, both on WatchOS and on Android Wear. But to understand this, you need to use them.

There are four versions of the Gear S2 in total - regular and Classic, each can be with or without 3G. The Classic is clad in a 316L stainless steel case, the bezel is ribbed at the edges, and if you add 3G to this, the battery will increase from 250 to 300 mAh, the device will add 3 g in weight and 2 mm in thickness. But the Gear S2 3G will not be sold in Russia, and therefore we will focus on the regular Gear S2 (sometimes called Sport) - they were the ones we came to review.

⇡ Design and ergonomics

The case is protected according to the IP68 standard, the plastic back is screwed to the aluminum “body” with four screws. The display is slightly recessed and covered with Gorilla Glass. The watch is well assembled and, despite the polymer strap and general plasticity, leaves the feeling of an expensive product.

The regular S2 doesn't have a ribbed bezel - and that's bad. Twisting the ring is the first and completely natural desire of anyone who gets acquainted with the device. So, the bezel rotates perfectly if you hold it by the edges, and gets stuck if you press from above. On Classic everything is clear, but here there is a chance to be disappointed, or even break it out of ignorance.

You can control the S2 not only using the bezel, but also through the touch screen, as well as the buttons on the end: “Back” and “Home”. Between them there is a small hole for the microphone, which, due to its location, will probably quickly become clogged with dirt. Another problem is the fastening of the strap. If, when removing the backpack, you touch the strap of the watch, the fastener will come unfastened. And it’s already quite unpleasant to drop or lose an expensive watch.

When the Gear S2 is still held on the hand, there are no problems with them. The size and shape do not interfere with either the wrist or the sleeves, the design does not scream with bright colors - in general, while the display is off, you just have a stylish, pleasantly heavy watch on your hand.

⇡ Display

When the display turns on for the first time, it becomes clear that, despite its small size and not the most high density points, this is - best display among those who generally put it on “smart” watches. It's all about Super AMOLED: it's not just bright - the brightest colors and truly black blacks. Moreover, the same Super AMOLED on a smartphone, Edge+, for example, is good, but not that good. Perhaps it's the bright lighting. Well, it’s just that AMOLED matrices look much more appropriate in watches than anything else. Black is very important here - it is the background of the system menu and all standard applications.

The display size is sufficient - not a competitor to the Moto 360, of course, but it’s convenient to work with what the watch can do. And they can do a lot.

⇡ The system and interaction with it

“Smart” watches can do more and more – they are no longer a fitness bracelet or just a second smartphone screen. Of course, there is still room to grow, and now the best representatives of the industry are independent in some ways, and can only do others with the help of a smartphone. Samsung Gear S2, in general, belongs to these best representatives. But I would like to start with something else.

Samsung says the Gear S2 works with any smartphone running Android 4.4 or higher. It is not true. Firstly, the companion application is easily installed on Galaxy backgrounds with 4.3. Secondly - and this is not so fun - the attempt to connect the watch with the Meizu m1 note ended sadly - the device running Android 4.4.4 KitKat is not supported. So be careful and look at the compatibility plate: there are a lot of smartphones there, but there are no Meizu devices at all.

Additionally, some features, such as S Voice, only work with Samsung smartphones. But there are also advantages - in addition to the classic connection via Bluetooth, there is synchronization via the Internet. You connect your watch via Wi-Fi, and your phone - how convenient: the main thing is not to close the application - and the functions of sending notifications, albeit with a delay, will work. A good idea, which, however, could not be used during the test.

When you lift the watch to look at it, the screen lights up. This works ten, even eleven out of ten times: the screen lights up with any more or less significant wave of the hand - it’s especially annoying when driving, but that’s nitpicking.

The organization of the menu is outrageously simple and convenient. You can switch between screens with gestures or by turning the bezel. The screens themselves are applications, built-in and downloaded, and a menu from which you can get to the list of applications, contacts and settings. Screens can be added, removed and swapped. Let's say S Health is more important to you than contacts, and you don't need a calendar at all. You go into the settings, move S Health closer to the top of the list (by default, the main screen is occupied by the clock application), contacts - somewhere to the end, and remove the calendar completely. It will remain on the device, but you can only get there through the menu with all installed applications.

As mentioned earlier, the main screen, a kind of starting point of the system, is the “clock”. A long press on a watch face opens a menu where you can select and customize its appearance. In general, there are a lot of dials, but there are about a dozen round ones. Some display heart rate, distance traveled and other activities. New “skins” can be downloaded through the companion application.

Moving to the right of the “clock” opens the notification feed - it combines information received from the phone and “news” from installed applications. You can respond to messages from social networks, managers or SMS from the watch using emoticons, ready-made phrases like “I’ll call you back later” or S Voice. The latter allows you to dictate any text, but only works with Samsung smartphones. As a last resort, you can type the text the old fashioned way - there is a numeric keyboard with letters: press “7” four times and get “S”. Anachronistic, inconvenient, but still better than QWERTY on the same screen.

There are more than enough built-in applications. In addition to the mentioned calendar and clock, there is “Weather”, alarm clock, music, timer and stopwatch, calls and messages, as well as contacts and a whole set of utilities for physical activity, which deserves special attention. The S2 comes pre-installed with Nike Running and S Health. The first is a simple and, most likely, familiar jogging software, interesting primarily for branded functions such as compatibility with sensors under the soles of Nike sneakers. The second is much more interesting. Firstly, the entire system is filled with “branches” of S Health: the pedometer, heart monitor and even the water meter are displayed on separate screens, but, in fact, are part of a single whole. Secondly, the application itself can not only collect information, but also offer training programs. There are a great many of them, however, you need to connect a smartphone. And thirdly, activity is detected automatically - in other words, the watch distinguishes between walking and running, which eliminates the need to start a workout manually. They do, but not always. If you walk fast enough, the watch turns on the “run” and begins to encourage you with vibrations and the phrase “Keep up the good work!” On the one hand, it’s inspiring, on the other hand, the screen in this state does not go out and eats up the battery.

Another nuisance is that for some reason adjusting the volume through the Music application is very late. At the same time, other functions such as pause work without delay.

The companion app largely duplicates the settings available on the watch and links them to the app store. Samsung promises tons of programs, but so far there are very few of them, and those promoted inside the store are not popular or simply useless in Russia. The companion provides settings for notifications, synchronization, and control gestures. You can also use it to make your watch vibrate and flash the screen to help you find it. The same can be done in the opposite direction if you have lost your phone.

High-quality work on bugs

Last September, Samsung introduced the first generation of its smartwatches, called Galaxy Gear. The product attracted increased attention from the press and gadget lovers, but after getting to know it closely, many (including us) were disappointed. However, the company did not stand still and just six months later announced a new generation of watches: Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo.

This event took place at the end of February at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. And two months later, the gadget went on sale (including in Russia).

The Gear 2 watch entered the market at the same time as others new Samsung products: Galaxy S5 smartphone, Gear Fit smart bracelet and a cheaper version of the watch - Gear 2 Neo (its difference is the absence of a camera, a partially plastic case, slightly lighter weight and 3000 rubles lower cost). In this article we will consider the top-end option - Samsung Gear 2, but we will definitely compare it with the above-mentioned devices from the field of wearable electronics, and with competitors.

Let's look at the specifications of the new product.

Specifications Samsung Gear 2

• CPU @1 GHz (2 cores)
• Touch display 1.63″ Super AMOLED, 320×320, 278 ppi
• Random access memory (RAM) 512 MB, inner memory 4 GB
• Bluetooth 4.0LE
• Two microphones, 1 speaker
• Gyroscope, accelerometer, heart rate sensor
• 2.0 MP camera, back-illuminated BSI sensor
• Li-ion battery 300 mAh
• Tizen operating system
• Compatible with Samsung devices running Android 4.3 and later
• Compliant with IP67 protection standard
• Dimensions 37x58x10 mm
• Weight 66 g (measured by us)

For clarity, we decided to make a table with the characteristics of other smartwatches (including the first version of Gear), adding into it those parameters that are currently key when choosing a device of this type.

*according to manufacturer information

From the table you might get the impression that the difference between the new Gear 2 watch and the previous version is not so great. But in fact, Samsung has improved (more or less significantly) many parameters that were not included in the table. As for comparison with competitors, here it is worth paying attention, first of all, to the higher pixel density of the Samsung watch screen, as well as the presence of protection according to the IP67 standard (competing products have a lower protection class). And of course, don’t forget about the presence of a camera, microphone and speaker.

At the same time, Samsung Gear 2 has more weight than its competitors, and in addition, the price is significantly higher. The official price of the gadget at the start of sales is 12,990 rubles. However, the first version of the Galaxy Gear was sold for 14,990 rubles (now its price has been reduced to 11,990 rubles).

Let's get started with the Gear 2, but first we ask you to refresh your memory of the articles about Galaxy Gear and Gear Fit, since in the story about Gear 2 we will repeatedly refer to these materials.

Equipment

The watch arrived to us without a box, so there will be no detailed story about packaging and accessories. But we will still tell you about one element of the kit, without which the watch cannot operate. This is the charging dock attachment.

She connects to the clock with inside- so that the contacts on the attachment coincide with the contacts on the watch. The nozzle locks tightly with a slight click.

On the right side of the nozzle there is a Micro-USB connector, to which the charger is connected (any charger for a smartphone will do). Note that in the first version of the Gear watch, the charging unit was designed in the form of an additional plastic case that was put on the watch. This solution is much less convenient.

The new nozzle is very similar to that of Samsung Gear Fit.

Design

Let's say right away: Samsung designers and engineers did a great job. The appearance of the Gear 2 watch is much better than that of the first version, and perhaps the best available on the market, but the continuity with the first Galaxy version Gear is saved.

This is a prime example quality work over the mistakes: they improved it a little here, they changed it a little there - but in the end we got a much more pleasant and convenient product. Let's list the main changes.

Firstly, there is a Home button. It is made of metal, has a beautiful texture and is located under the screen, on the metal area separating the screen and the strap. At the same time, Samsung has removed the screws that were noticeable on the Galaxy Gear from this area.

Secondly, the watch has become thinner. Moreover, the case itself is now less massive (this can be clearly seen from the photo above), and the strap has become more elegant. As for the strap, it is now removable - and this is the third significant point.

In order to make it possible to detach the strap, the company's engineers had to move the camera from the strap to the watch case. Now it is located on top of the screen (symmetrically to the Home button). And this is another one important aspect. In addition, the camera eye no longer protrudes as it did before, but looks quite elegant.

Another design difference between the Gear 2 and the Galaxy Gear is the addition of a new sensor: a heart rate monitor located on the back of the watch under the contacts. It works the same way as in Samsung Gear Fit.

The last thing that needs to be mentioned when describing the design of the Gear 2 is the placement of microphones and speakers. The speakers are located on the left side, closer to the inner surface of the case, in contact with the hand. Microphone hole - on the right side (in the photo below there is a small hole on the left side of the photo on the edge).

The watch's silicone strap has the same type of clasp as the Galaxy Gear. The strap material itself (dense silicone) is quite pleasant to the touch. Its inner surface, in contact with the hand, is ribbed, and the outer surface has fine corrugation.

Overall, the design of the watch is beautiful and functional. Gear 2 looks quite stylish and versatile: they are suitable for both men and women; both the student and the serious businessman. Of course, there is no such wow effect as in the case of the Samsung Gear Fit, so I would consider the Gear Fit to be the main alternative to the Gear 2. On the other hand, if you want a gadget that looks exactly like a watch and not like a bracelet, then the Gear 2 seems to be the best option.

Screen

The Samsung Gear 2 display has the same characteristics as the first version of the Galaxy Gear watch: Super AMOLED, 1.63″, 320×320. Has the screen undergone any changes? This question will be answered detailed testing, carried out by the editor of the “Projectors and TV” section Alexey Kudryavtsev.

The front surface of the screen is made of mineral glass with a mirror-smooth surface that is scratch-resistant. Judging by the reflection of objects, there is a very effective anti-glare filter that is superior in reducing reflection brightness to the Google Nexus 7 screen filter, which we use in our tests as a reference sample.

The doubling of reflected objects is very weak, indicating that there is no air gap between the layers of the screen. On the outer surface there is a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (effective, no worse than Google Nexus 7), therefore fingerprints are removed much easier and appear at a lower speed than in the case of ordinary glass.

When the white field was displayed in full screen, the maximum brightness value was about 325 cd/m² (conventional value 6, or “outdoor” mode), the minimum was 5 cd/m². Given the high efficiency of the anti-glare filter, on a sunny day outdoors, screen readability will remain at a high level, and in complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable value. Standard brightness (conditional value 4) is 150 cd/m², which is enough for a well-lit room. This screen uses a Super AMOLED matrix - active matrix on organic LEDs. A full-color image is created using subpixels of three colors - red (R), green (G) and blue (B) in equal numbers, as confirmed by a fragment of a microphotograph:

We observed a similar “structure” of the screen, for example, in the case of the Samsung Galaxy Gear. The screen is characterized by excellent viewing angles - colors and brightness change very little even with large deviations of the view from perpendicular to the screen. Black color is just black from any angle. It is so black that the contrast setting is simply not applicable in this case. However, around the reflection of bright objects there is a bluish halo, which is more extended along the arm. This halo in the light somewhat reduces the apparent blackness of the screen. The uniformity of the white field is excellent.

In general, the screen, apparently, remained the same as on the Galaxy Gear, without undergoing major changes (we are more likely to attribute the slightly decreased brightness to changed software settings).

At the moment, the Samsung Gear 2 screen is practically unrivaled. Practically - because, on the one hand, we should not forget about the Pebble screen, which has completely different qualities, and on the other hand, it cannot be said that the Gear 2 screen is better than that of the Gear Fit. But again, Gear Fit has completely incomparable properties, and they cannot be compared directly.

Pairing with a smartphone

Like the Samsung Gear Fit, the Gear 2 smartwatch only works with smartphones Samsung, and only based on Android 4.3 or newer. To get started, you need to install the Gear Manager application from the Samsung Apps catalog.

We connected our smartphone (Samsung Galaxy S5) to the watch without any problems. As for the application itself, its functionality is generally similar to the Gear Fit Manager application, which we talked about in the article about Samsung Gear Fit. The difference is due to differences in the functionality of these two devices and is contained in three main menu items: “My Applications”, “Samsung Apps” and “Find My Gear”.

Find My Gear sends a signal to the watch, causing it to make a sound (the Gear Fit doesn't have a speaker, so it can't make a sound). My Apps is a list of installed apps, and some of them have additional settings. But the most interesting thing is “Samsung Apps”. This is a directory of applications for the Gear 2, written primarily by third-party developers.

The apps are sorted into seven categories. On this moment the total number of applications exceeds one hundred. Installing them on the watch is simple: select the right application, click on the button with the price (if the application is paid) or the word “free”. Once the download is complete, the app will already be on your watch (Applications section), as well as in the My Apps menu in Gear Manager. You can only delete an installed application via your smartphone. However, this is done very simply and intuitively.

Samsung Gear 2 functionality

At the moment, of the smartwatches on the market that are not independent device(like the Iconbit Callisto 100), Samsung Gear 2 has the most extensive functionality. With Gear 2, you can answer a call without taking your smartphone out of your pocket or using an additional headset, take a photo, measure your heart rate, count your steps... In general, there are really considerable possibilities. They overlap some of the functionality of the Gear Fit, but the Gear 2 is a more versatile device.

The Gear 2 watch runs on a new operating system - Tizen. Let us remember that this is the brainchild of Samsung and Intel, based on the Linux kernel and working with HTML5 applications. Tizen traces its pedigree to the MeeGo operating system, which, in turn, is rooted in Maemo (the history of these projects can be read). On Mobile World Congress In 2014, we saw a large Tizen stand, where engineering samples of smartphones running this OS were presented, and in recent months, Samsung is about to release a commercial sample of a smartphone with Tizen. However, rumors are rumors, but this OS has already found application in watches.

What does this mean for the average user? It doesn't mean anything. Externally, the Gear 2 interface is something between a Galaxy Gear and a Gear Fit (neither uses Tizen). Moving icons here occurs in the same way as in regular Android, installing and uninstalling applications - only through a smartphone, working with files - again only through a smartphone, not counting the ability to transfer photos, videos and audio notes via USB to a computer. In short, if you don't know that the Gear 2 runs on Tizen, there's no way you'll feel it. If you know, this knowledge will not give you any advantages.

Let's take a look at the watch interface and the set of pre-installed applications.

The start screen is the clock itself. Initially, many types of clocks are available in the device, as well as in the Samsung Apps application catalog, so the start screen and the presence of certain elements on it (weather, calendar notifications, etc.) can be customized.

Like the Gear Fit, the screen turns on when we make a gesture with our hand towards ourselves (because of this, it often happens that the watch turns on in vain - for example, when you zip up a jacket or get dressed). To go to the next screen, you need to swipe to the left. You can always return to the start screen by pressing the physical button. Press the button again and the clock display will turn off. So, on the second screen we see “Notifications”, “Logs”, “Dialing” and “Contacts”.

Everything is clear here. Of course, dialing a number on a tiny screen is not very convenient, but overall the interface is good and quite intuitive. Although there is still room for improvement. Firstly, USSD commands from the watch are not supported. Secondly, you cannot delete a letter on your phone (it is only deleted from your watch). Thirdly, contacts are displayed only in the order of first name and last name, and the last name almost never fits in. Therefore, the list looks like this: Alexander B.., Alexandra.., Alexander I..., Alexander... It’s possible to guess who is who, but it’s not very convenient. These are perhaps the main disadvantages. Another feature (it may or may not be considered a disadvantage) is the fact that notifications arrive in a “closed” form. That is, you see who the letter or message on social networks came from, but you have to click on it to open the text. This is unlike Pebble, where notifications can be read immediately.

Go ahead. The next screen contains icons for “Applications”, “Camera”, “Settings” and “Management”. The set of settings in the Options menu is almost exactly the same as the Gear Fit. “Management” generally duplicates the capabilities available in “Options” - it’s simple quick way adjust screen brightness and sound volume. "Applications" is a list of all installed applications.

The next screen contains “Deleted. WatchON", "S Voice", "Music" and "Voice Memo". The first is the ability to use the watch as a TV remote control. A dubious possibility, since it’s hard for me to imagine a person who would sit at home wearing a watch, but without a smartphone at hand. However, as they say, so be it. S Voice - voice control. In principle, a really working thing, including understanding Russian-speaking contacts, for example (you can say “Call Anton” - and the application will start calling a contact named Anton, if there is only one). But for now it is too thoughtful and unstable, so it’s faster and easier to do the same thing the traditional way.

"Music" is one of the most interesting features. If with the help of Gear Fit you can only control music playback on your smartphone (Gear 2 also has this function, but the application is called “Media Remote”), then we can use the watch as an independent MP3 player. Tracks can be loaded into the watch's memory via a computer or transferred from a smartphone via Gear Manager - and then you can listen to music using the watch without the participation of a smartphone. True, it will be necessary wireless headset(unless, of course, you seriously consider the built-in speaker of the watch).

The last screen of the main menu includes icons for Pedometer, Workout, Heart Rate, and Sleep. We talked about the functionality of the first three applications in the Gear Fit review - there are no changes here. As for the “Sleep” application, it should record the phases of your sleep, but, let’s face it, sleeping with a watch is both inconvenient (they still get in the way a lot, compared to the same bracelet), and I’m afraid for their safety (suddenly somehow unsuccessfully, will you press down the screen or throw your hand away?).

In addition to the above, the “Applications” menu has “Find Device”, “Gallery” (viewing photos from the Gear 2 memory), “Media Remote” (controlling music on your smartphone), “Weather”, “Schedule” (synchronizes with the calendar; source calendar can be specified in Gear Manager), “Timer”, “Stopwatch”, “Email” and “Messages” (here the functionality is similar to Gear Fit). New applications are installed here, but any application (both pre-installed and new) can be moved from the “Applications” menu to the main menu.

PC connection

The watch can be connected to a PC to transcribe voice notes, photos and videos from the camera, and also to record music on the watch. Windows treats the Gear 2 as removable media volume of 2.81 GB, of which 2.64 GB are free (apparently 170 MB are hidden system files).

When you first connect, Windows takes a long time to search and download drivers from the Update Center, but in the end everything goes smoothly.

While connected to a computer, the watch battery is recharged.

Camera

The only camera on the watch is located in the metal area above the screen. To take an even shot of what you see in front of you, you need to position your hand as if you were a schoolboy sitting at a desk - that is, parallel to the floor.

By default, the camera shoots with an aspect ratio of 1:1, pictures are taken with a resolution of 1080x1080. To obtain maximum resolution images, you need to set the camera settings to 16:9 mode. Then the pictures will be taken with a resolution of 1920×1080.

Examples of test shots are shown below. Note that the first 5 frames were taken in autofocus mode, and the last one (with the flower) was taken in macro mode. Comments on the pictures and video were prepared by the author of the section “ Digital photo» Anton Soloviev.

Based on these images, we can say that a miracle did not happen again, and Samsung has not yet managed to endow the tiny module with decent quality. In any case, the camera is no better than the Samsung Galaxy Gear. The large grain from the noise reduction is still noticeable, and even noise appears in places. The sharpness of the images leaves much to be desired. The main reason for these problems is small resolution. And, of course, weak optics. These are all significant shortcomings of the camera. Color rendering and exposure work cannot be praised either.

We can only conclude that the camera is still completely unsuitable for any practical problems, and her pictures can only be viewed without frustration on a smartphone screen.

The camera can shoot video with a resolution of 720p. An example of the video is shown below.

Video, unlike photos, is done very well by the camera. Even still images look quite clear, sharpness is acceptable, and there are no noticeable problems with wiring. Perhaps the manufacturer did the right thing by limiting himself to 720p, since in this case, most likely, the video is in Full resolution HD would look much worse.

On the other hand, the resolution of video recording suggests interpolation of photographs, which can also be indicated by a certain “soapiness” of thin lines in the photo. If our assumption is correct, then 1 megapixel pictures would look better. However, then they would be completely useless.

Autonomous operation

The first version of the Galaxy Gear with battery life didn't fare well: with heavy use, the battery could be drained within a day. Gear 2 made a big step forward in this regard: with average intensity of use, the watch will last three or four days, and if you use it actively (but without the conscious goal of draining the battery), then less, but you can safely count on two days.

Unfortunately, we do not yet have a methodology that allows us to objectively compare the battery life of different smartwatches, since, firstly, the functionality of these devices is completely different (for example, somewhere there is a camera, and somewhere not; somewhere there is autonomous playing music, but sometimes not), and secondly, they do not imply any prolonged continuous use, for example, for reading, web surfing or games. Therefore, the only way to somehow measure battery life is to simply use the watch in real life for a while.

I wore the Samsung Gear 2 for four days. Before this they were fully charged, by the end of the fourth day they were discharged. While using it, I spent a lot of time studying the interface, looking at some notifications, and answering several calls. The camera was not used at all (the photographs shown in the article were taken earlier). Fitness functions too (except that I measured my pulse several times). In general, we can say that this is a medium-intensity use, determined by the real needs of the user and the features of the device (for example, why use a mediocre watch camera if you can use great camera smartphone?). And with such use, Gear 2 is in no way inferior to the same Sony SmartWatch 2 and may well compete even with Pebble (if, again, you use the watch in the same way, that is, you do not use features that are not available with Pebble). Worthy result!

conclusions

We are now witnessing a very interesting period: before our eyes, a new market is rapidly forming - smart watches. If just six months ago the devices available for sale resembled, rather, experimental engineering samples, now there is not only freedom for technologists, but also ordinary users there is plenty to choose from. Moreover, if earlier there was a choice according to the principle “fish for lack of fish and cancer”, now, on the contrary, several devices may be attractive at once.

For example, Samsung Gear 2 is certainly attractive because it allows you to make calls and answer incoming calls without taking out your smartphone, use voice control (well, until you get enough of it), and also listen to music without a smartphone at all. In turn, the Gear Fit device impresses with its curved screen of an unusual shape and convenience. Stand out among competitors Pebble Steel, but there are much tougher competitors ahead: LG and Motorola watches on Android Wear, as well as the long-awaited Apple iWatch. One way or another, if you, living in Russia, have decided to get a smart watch right now, and at the same time you own a relatively new Samsung smartphone (or are ready to buy one), we can safely recommend the Gear 2, as well as the Gear 2 Neo or Gear Fit ( The choice here, by the way, is not easy). Actually, the main obstacle here is precisely the connection to the Korean manufacturer. Another limiting factor is price. Still, for a toy (which is what smartwatches are so far), Gear 2 is a little expensive. But the price for Gear 2 Neo and Gear Fit is much more acceptable. We'd recommend the Gear Fit if it weren't for this quirky device's lack of third-party app support. Therefore, based on the combination of qualities, the Gear 2 Neo seems to us the most attractive option (the camera, in general, is an extra thing for a watch - at least at this level of implementation). Perhaps, in terms of price and functionality (coupled with ease of use), this is the best offer on the market today.

But you need to be prepared for the fact that within six months your gadget will become obsolete. And it is possible that devices on Android Wear and Apple iWatch will have killer features that will immediately reduce the attractiveness of the current Samsung lines. However, we repeat, this will happen only in a few months, and it is not a fact that these new devices will be as balanced and successful as the Samsung Gear 2 / Gear 2 Neo. And we have no doubt that the new Samsung watches are truly successful.

Good design (yes, this watch is not a shame to wear in any society!), convenient and pleasant software, wide functionality, stable operation (we did not notice any freezes, crashes, or slowdowns, except for the slow operation of S Voice), excellent the screen is all of it undoubted advantages. Of course, there are minor shortcomings (for example, the camera is still far from perfect). Well, the connection to Samsung devices(and only on Android 4.3/4.4) is upsetting. But such is the market strategy of the Korean manufacturer: apparently, they still consider watches more as an additional incentive for buying a smartphone, rather than as an independent market.

In conclusion, we invite you to watch our video review of the Samsung Gear 2 smartwatch:

Samsung doesn't often receive the Original Design award from us, but in this case we believe that the Korean manufacturer fully deserved it.

Today everyone is promoting it. It all started in 2013, when a wave of rumors about the Apple iWatch swept online and offline. The most stressed was Samsung, which in a matter of months built and launched its creative product on the market under the name . Then the Chinese also caught up, whose developments were also used by Russian B-brands.

However, a smartphone on your hand is cool, but clearly inconvenient. That’s why Pebble watches have also gained quite a bit of popularity - they are more compact, lighter, and you can write poems about their autonomy. However, their functionality, although “smart,” is not so advanced. But the second generation of Pebble Steel looks very stylish - the company clearly realized the importance of design in such a thing as a watch.

Them Apple time never released her smartwatch. Samsung met the spring of 2014 in splendid isolation and with three new products: Gear 2, Gear 2 Neo and Gear Fit. We have arranged them in descending order of “steepness”. The most advanced of all is the Gear 2 watch, the direct successor to the Galaxy Gear. The Gear 2 Neo differs only in the lack of a camera. Well, Gear 2 Fit is more of a smart bracelet. It's a dumb device in terms of ergonomics and usability, but it looks cool.

Design and controls

The first generation of Galaxy Gear looked unusual, but purely “Samsung-style” was boring. Remember how their smartphones look: everything is made like a carbon copy, with the exception of the flagships. At the same time, even the flagships have a boring and mediocre design. Or it would be more accurate to say “faceless.” This is roughly what Samsung managed to do with smart watches.

Has anything changed with the Gear 2? Only partly. Moreover, all the changes mainly concern technological additions and corrections that happened to the watch. But overall, Gear 2 has unmistakable features of its predecessor. If you saw last year’s device, then you will recognize the smart chronometers from South Korea of ​​the 2014 model without unnecessary difficulties.

The general idea remains the same: a square screen framed by a wide frame, and the whole thing is covered with glass slightly curved at the edges. Next comes the watch case itself, and here some differences between the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo begin. In the first case, metal was used, and in the second, plastic. Metal looks noticeably more advantageous. In this form, the watch does not look like an inexpensive one electronic craft. In combination with a black strap, they look more like an unusual wrist accessory. Of course, they are far from Pebble Steel, but in any case it turned out well.

Compared to the older product, Gear 2 Neo looks noticeably weaker and cheaper. There is not a penny in them, unless you look closely and understand their functions.

Putting the watch on upside down will be difficult - there is a Home button under the screen, which also indicates where the bottom of the Gear 2 is. In the metal version, it also looks noticeably better than that of the Gear 2 Neo - in this design it looks more like an unusual substring element.

At the opposite end there is an IR port for controlling electronics. This happens to both watches at once. And the Gear 2 also boasts a camera lens - this is the main difference from the Gear 2 Neo. Compared to the Galaxy Gear, where the camera was located in the strap as an unsightly growth, here it is elegantly hidden in the case and does not look alien.

On the left side of the watch there is a grip for charging, as well as speaker slots. Let's remember that in the Galaxy Gear the speaker was built into the strap clasp.

The second grip is on the right side. Opposite him there is a microphone for conversations.

The design of the clasp remains the same.

If necessary, you can adjust the length of the strap - there are many divisions. But perhaps the most important change with the strap is its significant simplification. There are no more electronics left in it: the camera and speaker were moved into the case. This increases the reliability of all watches - damage to the strap will not lead to anything bad, and replacing it will cost a noticeably less amount.

The back cover of the watch is equipped with a heart rate monitor. There are also five contacts for connecting charging. One more thing. Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo comply with the IP67 standard, which guarantees reliable dust and moisture protection.

Can I insert a SIM card into the Gear 2?

For some reason, this question interests many on the Internet. Why it suddenly appeared is unclear. Moreover, the answer is obvious: you cannot insert a SIM card into the Gear 2 watch. There's no compartment for it. And you can't add it. No way and nowhere, it is not provided.

If anyone doesn't know, . They can work separately from a smartphone, accessing the Internet. The Opera Mini browser was even created for them!

Equipment

We received the Gear 2 Neo watch as a complete set. The box turned out to be quite massive - it didn’t fit into a jacket pocket.

The rest of the kit included only a power supply and a watch attachment that provides charging.

Charging has become much more compact and practical. On the Galaxy Gear, it covered the entire body. It got to the point of being funny - on the display case there was a watch with a charger connected, which seemed to be an integral part of it. With such an “addition” they looked very large and clumsy. This may have scared off some buyers.

Now the charger looks alien - when putting on the watch there will be no doubt that it needs to be removed. At the charging end there is a microUSB connector, with which the watch can be connected to a computer or power supply.

Please note that a USB cable is not included. Of course, this is not a matter of savings - Samsung simply did not foresee that the watch would be connected to a computer. We tried to do this and the system even somehow reacted to this action. But, of course, I didn’t find any drivers. And Samsung has not released any special software for working with the watch - everything is done through the phone.

A more complete picture of the Samsung Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo will be provided by their video review:

Gear 2 specifications

Today the lineup Samsung smartwatches include as many as four various models. So these are old, but still presented on the official website of the manufacturer, Galaxy Gear. Then there are the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo in question. And the line is completed by Gear Live, announced at the end of June 2014, the newest model based on Android Wear. It is similar in design and preliminary specifications to the Gear 2 Neo. Gear Live went on sale in the summer of 2014. But Gear 2 isn't going anywhere. Let's take a look at their parameters.

Progress compared to the first Galaxy Gear watch is clearly insignificant. Moreover, one could safely expect regression in terms of the processor. After all, Exynos 4212 is a solution for an average smartphone, and a smartwatch is, one might say, a more compact and mobile device. And it should work for a long time without recharging.

But Samsung took a different path. Exynos 3250 is a completely new processor built on Cortex-A7 cores. The company began mass production of this chip in 2014, which means that it can be assumed that it was developed specifically for smart watches. Moreover, unlike the previous Exynos 4212, where one of the two cores always worked, in the new CPU the system can use a pair of cores. Moreover, at a higher frequency of 1000 MHz, versus 800 MHz in the Galaxy Gear.

There is no clarity with the video card. However, there is nothing wrong with that - a smartwatch needs a graphics accelerator first of all to display a two-dimensional static image, and only then for everything else. Play difficult 3D games and watching movies on your hand is at least inconvenient and generally strange.

The parameters of RAM and built-in flash memory have not changed. In the first case, a volume of 512 MB is available, in the second – 4 GB. Is it a lot or a little? It's hard to say. If the interface and everything else works without unnecessary delays, then there is enough RAM. Why do you need permanent memory on a watch? For photos and videos? The video clock takes 15 seconds, and photos have a resolution of 2 megapixels, which are also immediately sent to the smartphone. And on the Gear 2 Neo there is no camera at all. So the Gear 2’s memory is “all right.”

The screen was also not replaced. A 1.63-inch SuperAMOLED matrix with a resolution of 320x320 is used. The display is undoubtedly good. But at the moment, the question arises about the correct use of the classic screen in smart watches. After all, in order not to waste energy, it must be kept turned off for as long as possible. Yes, the built-in accelerometer detects hand movement to “view” the time, but it does not always work accurately. As a result, sometimes you have to look at a black screen instead of the time and notifications. In about 15% of cases. Believe me, this is a lot.

Screens with a static image and low power consumption usually do not differ in image quality or refresh speed. The same Pebble prefers to use electronic paper, but the watch is not as interactive as Samsung's. In general, regarding the display issue at the moment these are complete compromises.

It’s very nice that Samsung managed to improve the weight and dimensions of the Gear 2 compared to the first generation. The watch has become thinner by a millimeter and lighter by 7 grams. This is despite the fact that a camera has moved into their building! The battery capacity also decreased, but only by 15 mAh to 300 mAh. This did not affect autonomy. Even a faster processor did not affect this parameter. What's the secret? Apparently in Tizen.

Working with Gear 2 smartwatches

One of the main features of the Gear 2 watch was its translation in the operating room Tizen system version 2.2. Galaxy Gear, we recall, operated under Android 4.2. Of course, a greatly reduced version of the “robot” was installed there, but that was exactly it. Moreover, this is confirmed by the ability to control the watch via the Android SDK - with its help, screenshots were taken from the wearable gadget, and any applications were installed on it. It got to the point of being funny - they installed a launcher on the watch and it turned into regular smartphone. True, without Wi-Fi and a GSM module, such a “smartphone” was not capable of much.

What's most interesting is that in May 2014, Samsung released a firmware update for the Gear 2, bringing it closer to the Gear 2. However, the question is, will all these watches get the recently introduced Android Wear? Or will Samsung wait until this system is perfected?

In the meantime, let's see how you can work with the Gear 2. In principle, there have been no fundamental changes since the Galaxy Gear as such. The interface remains the same, although it has been improved. For example, the first thing that catches your eye is that the background image has finally appeared. The Galaxy Gear was deprived of one not at all because of the imperfection of the screen - it’s wonderful there - it’s all about saving energy. The darker the OLED display, the less it drains the battery. Now Tizen allows you to waste less energy.

By scrolling through the screen, you can see the available applications. What remains here is almost exactly the same as it was before. They changed some things, improved some things, but again, nothing fundamentally new.

So they focused on the pedometer and sports functions. The watch has a built-in heart rate monitor. Now you can monitor your heart rate while exercising.

From your watch you can now control not only music playback on your smartphone, but also your TV and even your air conditioner.

The call function has been retained - you can dial a number on the watch or dictate it via S Voice. Here, the experience hasn’t changed much either - during the day in the city on a noisy street, the speaker is almost inaudible, and it’s inconvenient to yell into the microphone.

In addition to the main “desktops,” there remains a separate list of applications, divided into four per screen. There are not much more of them here than on the main screens.

The settings interface has slightly changed its design, but the logic of their operation remains the same. But now, in addition to the color theme, you can also choose the background.

The functionality of a smartwatch is so much less than that of a smartphone that the difference between Tizen and Android is not noticeable.

Of course, Bluetooth is built into the watch, but other than that there is nothing else.

The most interesting thing is that the “USB Debugging” item has not disappeared from the settings menu - everything is just like in Android. True, there is no point in it - a computer without the appropriate driver and software does not recognize the clock.

Overall, the interface has become more intuitive and easier to use. The same gestures have been retained - swiping your fingers from top to bottom on the main screen launches the camera application on Gear 2, and from bottom to top launches the dialer.

Speaking of the camera. Its resolution and quality have increased. So she can now shoot in Full HD. Moreover, the pictures come out relatively good.

As for the video, its quality has also increased, but the resolution has not changed - 1280x720. And the duration remains the same - only 15 seconds per video.

Using the Gear 2 with a smartphone

The Galaxy Gear watch, immediately after its release in September 2013, could only work with one smartphone - . This decision is strange - not everyone could afford to buy dear Note 3, and those who could, it’s not a fact that they would agree to carry a 5.7-inch phablet with them. Later, watch support appeared in other models, although mostly Samsung flagships.

In the case of the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo, the situation is not so bleak. The watch is supposed to be able to pair with any Samunsg smartphone, newer or newer.

At the time of testing the Gear 2, we had a Galaxy S5 at our disposal. We launched the updated Gear Manager on it.

However, there is also little new in comparison with the first version. Changed the design and icons. But the principle of operation remains the same: you can completely customize the watch.

Moreover, it is easier to configure them from a smartphone than from a phone. Of course, screen sizes matter a lot here!

Of course, Gear Manager is more flexible in terms of configuration - through it you can upload new backgrounds and set up data transfer between your smartphone and watch.

You can configure both built-in applications and smartphone ones. In the latter case, we are talking about notifications - notifications from anywhere can be displayed on the watch screen more quantity apps than there were during the Galaxy Gear. This is perhaps one of the main and most serious changes to Gear 2.

You can even customize the gesture for turning on the watch, set the operation to double tap Home buttons on the watch.

And, of course, the most interesting thing remains - the applications. They are grouped into six categories: finance, entertainment, health/fitness, lifestyle, social media and utilities. Some of them are paid.

At the time of preparation of this article, there were few applications - at most 3-4 dozen. Of course, even old Galaxy Gears cannot be transferred! And those that exist are not of particular interest. Well, there is a paid calculator, five games, and various beautifully designed watch faces. It seems that the developers and Samsung itself do not know what applications for watches can be written in principle.

Conclusion

The evolution of Samsung smartwatches is visible to the naked eye. The second generation came out literally six months after the first. There are many changes, the main one of which is the transition to Tizen to save energy. But did it help the watch? Yes, they work longer. True, along the way they lost all applications for the Galaxy Gear. However, there weren’t that many applications there.

However, the overall experience with the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo remains the same. Yes, they have become easier to use, the interface is now more intuitive, and it is better designed. However, talking over the clock is also difficult. But as a fitness gadget they have become more advanced. And now you can see much more notifications on the screen.

An undeniable progress can be called the abandonment of the technologically complex strap where the camera was built in. Now it’s not scary to break it, and replacement costs noticeably less. Weight loss and updated design were also beneficial. Exactly the same as an improved camera.

Of course, there's already Samsung Gear Live powered by Android Wear. However, according to the first reviews, new system it’s too crude - the software on Tizen works much less intrusively and more logically. In addition, the Gear Live's capabilities barely reach the Gear 2 Neo's - it doesn't have a camera. So the relevance of Gear 2 is not diminishing.

But the main question remains the cost. Galaxy Gear at launch cost as much as 15 thousand rubles. Now their price has dropped to 12 thousand, which is also a lot. How are things going with the second generation?

Gear 2 price

You can buy Gear 2 for 13 thousand rubles. The price fell from the same 15 thousand in April 2014. Not cheap, you'll agree. True, Gear 2 Neo can be bought for 10 thousand - they are more affordable. But remember that you will lose the metal frame, their design is poorer, and they also do not have a camera. If you are definitely planning to buy a Samsung smartwatch, then it would be better to look at the Gear 2.

In general, Samsung Gear 2 still has few competitors. Pebble Steel, costing about 15 thousand, looks like a more or less worthy alternative. Not cheap, but we are talking about a kind of premium version Pebble watch SmartWatch, which in mid-summer 2014 was valued at about 7 thousand rubles. Believe me, Pebble Steel looks much better. But this is the most important thing for a watch – a solid appearance. Even for men, it’s much more pleasant to wear something stylish and metal on your wrist than a plastic item with an advanced screen.

Sony SmartWatch 2 has now dropped in price to 6 thousand. Also a possible cheaper alternative, although outdated.

Qualcomm Toq can be bought for 14 thousand. The product is new, but it raises quite a lot of questions regarding both functionality and ease of use. And their design is not so great. But they work with where a large number smartphones.

In addition, there are many Chinese smartwatches on the market, some of which can even insert a SIM card and microSD card! But this is essentially a smartphone in watch format. In this design they are heavy, thick, with a screen of questionable quality and poor battery life. But they are cheap.

Pros:

• good design;
• high quality workmanship;
• high quality camera;
• the strap now does not affect the operation of the watch;
• dust and moisture protection according to IP67 standard;
• good AMOLED screen;
• relatively good autonomy;
• good control application for smartphone;
• more convenient charging;
• built-in heart rate monitor;
• advanced functions for sports;
• controllability consumer electronics;
• more convenient interface compared to Galaxy Gear.

Minuses:

• still high price;
• not even compatible with all Samsung smartphones;
• the screen does not always turn on when you raise your hand;
• few applications;
• The camera only shoots videos for 15 seconds.