In office having TGIF now, have a good Friday all. Below is a "short" review of my S2. Cheers!
Samsung Gear S2 Classic
Pros
- No lag so far. Battery life lasted for 1.5 days of average usage. Surprisingly, replying via the inbuilt mini keyboard isn't that bad. Specifications wise, quite overkill for a smartwatch. Would be nice to have a lower spec and cheaper Gear S2 to cater to the lower spectrum.
- Pedometer is quite accurate, counter-reference to Samsung Fit and Mi Band. Sport features are quite useful although I rarely use it, can't bear the sweat hurting the leather strap.
- Inbuilt map in the smartwatch is accurate but abit slow in loading. Works well and has a nice UI. Navigation and routes planned are quite similar with Google map which is good.
- Interchangeable straps(for classic) for different activities. Would love to have a deployant strap, easier to wear and slightly nicer.
- Turning ceramic bezel! Smooth yet clicky bezel and satisfying to rotate it. It sure helps to form a physical connection with users too. Probably the best thing about the watch, very intuitive and to the extent I do not swipe across the screen anymore.
- Lots of customisations! Eg, watch faces, spent 1 hour playing and designing it. Would be nice to have an online website/app/platform for users to customise and design their own watch face even if they don't own a Gear S2. May help to gain new customers and also better watch designs.
Cons
- Metal finishing on the side is prone to scratches, would prefer a matt finishing, able to contrast with the ceramic glossy finishing.
- Is the watch 316L steel plated with something? DLC/PVD? I would prefer the normal stainless steel, gold and silver color will be nice instead of the original dark grey color.
- I would recommend the Standard version strap width to be at least 22mm so that it will be more comfortable during rigorous activities.
Conclusion
Will I buy it? Not if it is $550 for this, would buy it if it is around $450 for the classic version, nearer to what competitors are offering.
Is this better than the predecessor Gear S? Yes of course! Way better in terms of dimension and looks!