Samsung Reveals Their First Circular Smartwatch, The Gear S2

samsung gear 2 black smartwatchThe original Gear S was a beast of a smartwatch experiment, blending a large curved display with a 3G cell radio. Their follow up looks to be more subtle and refined.

The Gear S2 aims to blend in more, looking like a more traditional timepiece, and it’s the company’s first circular watch face. A 1.2″ screen with a 360×360 resolution, in an 11.4mm thin frame.  The smaller screen means Samsung can also shave a little size off the battery and continue offering 2-3 days of use on a charge.

This will not be an Android Wear affair, powered by Samsung produced dual core CPU, it’s a Tizen OS watch designed specifically to pair with Samsung phones. NFC on board will tie directly into Samsung Pay for mobile payments.

samsung gear 2 silver smartwatchSamsung has a number of partners on board supporting apps utilizing the new round display, and it will be interesting to see how current apps might eventually work with this smaller screen.

There will be two flavors of Gear S2, a BT and WiFi only model and the S2 3G which incorporates an “e-SIM” for voice and data services when not directly paired to a phone. Two color options will be available, silver and dark grey, and there will be different band options for those watch bodies.

We don’t have pricing info yet, but Samsung expects the Gear S2 to start shipping in October. You can read the full press release below.

Samsung Comes Full Circle with Introduction of Samsung Gear S2

August 31, 2015 Gear S2

Latest Samsung Gear features a versatile circular design for an intuitive, convenient, and enjoyable mobile experience

SEOUL, Korea – September 1, 2015 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today announced the Samsung Gear S2 smartwatch, the company’s latest offering as a result of many years of progressive innovation in the wearables category.

The Samsung Gear S2 comes in a versatile, circular design with an intuitive, custom UX and advanced features that enable users to enhance, personalize and bring more fun to their mobile experience.

The Gear S2’s unique rotating bezel, along with the Home and Back buttons, ensures users will have a quicker, more precise method to comfortably access notifications and applications.

Introduced in two different options – the Gear S2 and the Gear S2 classic – Samsung designed the Gear S2 to appeal to two distinct consumer preferences. The Gear S2 classic is made for users who prefer a more timeless watch design, offering an elegant Black finish with a matching genuine leather band. The Gear S2 is ideal for those who are on-the-go and have an admiration for minimal and modern design.

“For the past several years, Samsung has pioneered and advanced the wearables category, bringing brave new concepts to the smart wearables market,” said JK Shin, CEO and Head of Samsung’s IT & Mobile Business. “The Samsung Gear S2 reflects Samsung’s most progressive innovation. It is the perfect complement for any occasion, easily taking you from day to night, from work to workout—and ensuring that you get more out of every moment in your day, by making it smarter and ultimately more personal and fun.”

A mere 11.4-millimeter thin, the Samsung Gear S2 brings a light and compact design to your wrist. It offers an incredibly vibrant viewing experience for a smartwatch, thanks to its 1.2-inch circular screen and its 360 x 360 resolution (302 ppi). The applications on the Gear S2 can be viewed with amazing clarity so that users don’t miss notification pop-ups. Also, with the latest Tizen OS and an optimized 1-GHz dual core processor, the Samsung Gear S2 can perform tasks easily and efficiently.

Users can stay connected with at-a-glance notifications to check calendars, e-mails, news and can even send important texts directly from their wrist. Users can choose the Gear S2 with 3G connectivity which incorporates the first-ever e-SIM with voice capability, to perform quick functions without being closely tethered to their phone.

New fitness functions on the Samsung Gear S2 will encourage consumers to stay healthy and active. The 24-hour activity log lets users view daily activity progress and patterns at a glance. It will also send reminder updates to motivate users to stay on track with their fitness goals.

For the ultimate convenience, the Samsung Gear S2 comes with NFC technology which will enable mobile payments without the need for a wallet. Samsung is working with a wide selection of partners across different industries to expand the usability of wearables and streamline consumers’ mobile lives in a variety of ways, including smart car keys, residential room keys, and remote controls to manage a connected home.

All of these connected features will be supported by a battery that can last up to 2-3 days, allowing consumers to stay connected without the hassle of constantly having to recharge. To charge, simply place the Samsung Gear S2 on the wireless charging dock right out of the box.

The Samsung Gear S2 reflects Samsung’s commitment to openly collaborate with developers and partners to bring increased customization and applications to its devices. Samsung is working closely with partners to offer a range of watch faces and watch bands so that users can have a variety of ways to express their personal style and mood. Users can easily change the band with one click, and change the watch face for a more personalized and sophisticated Gear experience depending on the time, place or occasion.

A variety of apps optimized for the Gear S2’s circular user interface will be available at launch. Through open collaboration with developers and partners, Samsung is continuing to enrich its wearable ecosystem and provide users with a more optimized and unique smart wearable experience.

The Samsung Gear S2 will be available in a Dark Gray case with a Dark Gray band and Silver case with a White band. The Samsung Gear S2 classic will be available in a Black case with a Leather band.

The Samsung Gear S2 and Gear S2 classic will be showcased for full media hands-on and more applications will be demonstrated with partners at Tempodrum, Berlin on September 3.

For more product information, please visit www.samsungmobilepress.com.

Samsung Gear S2 and Gear S2 classic Product Specifications:

Display
1.2”, Circular Super AMOLED, 360×360, 302ppi

AP
Dual core 1.0 GHz

OS
Tizen based wearable platform

Audio
Codec: MP3/AAC/AAC+/eAAC+
Format: MP3, M4A, AAC, OGG
Memory
Storage: 4GB Internal Memory / RAM: 512MB

Features
Communications:
– Contacts, Notifications, Messages, Email, – Preset text, Voice Input, Emoticons, Keypads
Features
Health & Fitness:
– S Health, Nike+ Running
Features
Information:
– Schedule, News, Maps & Navigation, Weather
Features
Media:
– Music Player, Gallery
Features
Others:
– Voice, Voice Memo, Find My Device, Power Saving Mode, Safety assistance, Privacy lock
Features
IP68 Certified Dust and Water Resistant

Samsung Services
Samsung Gear Apps

Connectivity
Wi-Fi: 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth® 4.1
NFC
Sensor
Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Heart Rate, Ambient Light, Barometer

Dimension
Gear S2 : 42.3×49.8×11.4mm (47g)
Gear S2 classic : 39.9×43.6×11.4mm (42g)
Battery
Wireless Charging
250mAh Li-ion
Typical Usage 2~3days

Samsung Gear S2 3G Version Product Specifications:

Display
1.2”, Circular Super AMOLED, 360×360, 302ppi

AP
Dual core 1.0 GHz

OS
Tizen based wearable platform

Audio
Codec: MP3/AAC/AAC+/eAAC+
Format: MP3, M4A, AAC, OGG
Memory
Storage: 4GB Internal Memory / RAM: 512MB

Features
Communications:
– Contacts, Notifications, Messages, Email, – Preset text, Voice Input, Emoticons, Keypads
Features
Health & Fitness:
– S Health, Nike+ Running
Features
Information:
– Schedule, News, Maps & Navigation, Weather
Features
Media:
– Music Player, Gallery
Features
Others:
– S Voice, Voice Memo, Find My Device, Power Saving Mode, Safety assistance, Privacy lock
Features
IP68 Certified Dust and Water Resistant

Samsung Services
Samsung Gear Apps

Connectivity
Wi-Fi: 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth® 4.1
NFC
Sensor
Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Heart Rate, Ambient Light, Barometer

Dimension
44.0 x 51.8 x 13.4mm (51g)

Battery
Wireless Charging
300mAh Li-ion
Typical Usage 2 days

*All functionality, features, specifications and other product information provided in this document including, but not limited to, the benefits, design, pricing, components, performance, availability, and capabilities of the product are subject to change without notice or obligation.

** Battery performance may vary depending on network conditions and configuration, and device usage.

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