Samsung Gear S2: a comparison of conventional and classic versions

After five attempts to seize the market of wearable devices, Samsung comes to the decision to create a device that will work not only with the company's smartphones, but also with other brands. While Apple does not disclose the sales of its smart watches, the Korean brand is trying to seize the initiative and launches the Samsung Gear S2 / S2 Classic. Devices practically do not differ in hardware, but have a different design. The first option is more sporty, the second, as the name implies, has a classic appearance.

Specifications

Above it was said that the devices differ visually, but have similar characteristics. They are listed in the table below.

As can be seen from the above characteristics, the Samsung Gear S2 model turned out to be larger and more severe in comparison with the classic version.. In addition, the differences will be in the belts. Gear S2 Classic supports any straps with a width of 20 mm, the regular version can only be equipped with branded belts.

Design and materials used

Samsung Watch Gear S2 and S2 Classic differ in the design and material of the belts. If we talk about the case, then sports version is more monolithic and streamlined, there are no any protruding elements. An elastomer strap completes the overall picture and makes the watch suitable for training.

Classic version Made of the same materials, only the belt is different. The case of both devices - stainless steel, the screen is protected by Gorilla Glass. The bottom cover is made of plastic, it has a heart rate scanner. Behind control of the device the turning rim and two buttons located on the right side answers. The buttons have functions back and home.The bezel in the Samsung Gear 2S Classic version has a signature that makes it more convenient to use. The buttons gently rise above the body and do not spoil the overall picture.

On a note! When creating the device, for the first time, the manufacturer relied on the model used to make regular watches - here the whole filling is arranged sequentially, that is, as ingredients in a sandwich.

The overall impression of the devices, or rather of their wearing, is positive. Dimensions and low weight make it possible not to recall that there is something on the hand. The device fits tightly to the skin, but at the same time the materials do not irritate, and even in summer the hand does not sweat under the clock. Both watches have IP 68 protection classThis means that they are not afraid of moisture and dirt.

Important! It should be understood that for sports or in conditions where the device can get wet, do not use a leather belt. In the reviews, many users said that after a few days of such extreme conditions, signs of aging appeared on the belt.

amount interchangeable belts in the new watch is very large. There are even options from famous fashion designers. You can remove the belt in the usual version of the watch with a simple snap off, which is very convenient and fast.The Samsung Gear S2 Classic smart watch with a regular leather belt has an axle clasp that is standard for this design.

Software stuffing and sensor equipment

Smart watch Samsung Gear S2 and S2 Classic are equipped with almost the same. Inside stands Exynos branded processor with two cores and a frequency of 1 GHz. The graphics is provided by the Mali-400 platform with 400 MHz, which users could test on the S5 mini smartphone. From the point of view of memory, everything here is the same as that of competitors - 512 MB are responsible for speed, and 4 GB are available for installing applications or listening to music.

Important! It should be understood that of the 4 will only be available 2 gigabytes, since the rest of the memory is occupied by the operating system.

For communication in the line of the Samsung Gear S2, the Bluetooth module, Wi-Fi standard 802.11n and NFC are used. The latter is used to support Samsung Payp service which at the time of the release of watches in Russia did not work. In addition, the company planned to put on sale watch version with sim card support, but for Russia it is not too important. The point is that the type of SIM card here is eSIM, this is a special format that must be supported by the communication provider, and moreover, they must have an agreement with Samsung to work with such a SIM card in hours.

Both models received a standard set of sensors, there is nothing unusual or new. At the same time there are some shortcomings.

1. A moment that upset some users of the sports version is lack of GPS. In order to get a route or track it during a workout, you will have to constantly connect a smartphone to the watch. This is not very convenient and affects the battery life of devices from the battery.
2. No speakers. It’s not possible to use the clock to talk, you can only reject or accept the call, but then you still have to get the phone.

Autonomy

The Samsung Gear S2 and S2 Classic smart watch battery has a capacity of 250 mAh, which is very small, and all reviews converge in a single opinion: the devices sit fast enough. Not even saving energy-efficient display Super Amoled. Of course, the running time depends on the usage model. In a sparing mode, they will last for about 3 days, with quite active use without a training mode, the device will last for about 2 days, but in the evening they will have to be put on charge for loads.

To charge the watch Samsung Gear S2 Classic is used dock station. It has a compact size. The clock is set on her left side.The station itself is connected with a standard Micro USB cable.

Screen

Gear S2 Classic and the regular version are the first watches from the company with a round display. At the same time, it turned out the smallest among the devices from other brands. Pixel density is quite good, there are 9 levels of brightness and automatic adjustment. The latter does not work correctly and reacts only in very bright light. The brightness of the display does not allow to see the image when exposed to direct sunlight. The impression of the display is average, and Samsung could easily make it better.

Screen is touch, it supports double tap to unlock, and also lights up if you bring your hand to your face. In this case, the acceleration sensor is triggered.

Functions and interface

The clock is controlled through the rim and buttons. The first scrolls displays, scales. On the main screen, the user sees the time by default, the second screen - application icons with quick access, then the menu of all applications.Confirmation of the choice of the application occurs by clicking on the icon, then you can scroll all the same rim or finger across the screen. The "home" button returns the device to the main screen, back simply raises to a higher level.

Labels can be arranged as convenient. A total of about 4 thousand applications are available, it is obvious that there are very few really useful ones. For the sport mode, which is not the most convenient here, it is used branded s health.

Notifications come as standard. Due to the fact that there are no speakers, the watch will inform about them by vibration, you can also view notifications in the watch itself.

On a note! A strange nuance is the lack of sleep tracking, which would be understandable if the pulse scanner were not in the watch.

Also implemented in the clock S Voice function, it was significantly improved, and now it has become much better understand Russian speech. However, it is inconvenient to use a voice assistant, since long requests are poorly transmitted to the phone and sometimes remain unfulfilled.

Quite strangely implemented gallery. Clock by default makes all photos round, and more than 200 photos from the phone can not be downloaded to the clock. Navigation in hours implemented using the old application of Here, which can hardly be called very convenient. In general, it is possible to use it, but it is more convenient to use Google maps or similar software from other manufacturers for these purposes.

In addition, the watch has a player that plays music from the memory of the watch, there is a phone book, calendar and notifications from it. In other words, the functionality is standard, and the clock does not know how to do anything supernatural.

Important! To synchronize the clock and the smartphone, you will need to install the Gear Manager application, with its help you will be configured.

Conclusion

The smart watches from the Samsung company of the Gear S2 series have turned out to be a high-quality assembly device and with quite a standard filling. Price model at the time of release ranged from 21 to 25 thousand rubles. It is difficult to say how much the device is in demand. Users still have no great interest in smart wearable electronics, and the competition here is quite serious. In comparison with the usual clock data devices lose. Thus, the smart watches Gear S2 and S2 Classic will suit fans of the company, as well as those buyers who are not ashamed of money and want to get a quality accessory in addition to their smartphone.