Samsung sheds more light on Gear S2 smartwatch
Samsung today shed some more light on the round Gear S2 smartwatch it first teased last month when it unveiled the Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+. Powered by Samsung's Tizen operating system, the Gear S2 distinguishes itself from the plethora of smartwatches on the market with a rotating bezel used for navigation.
"The Samsung Gear S2 reflects Samsung’s most progressive innovation," said Samsung Electronics CEO JK Shin. "It is the perfect complement for any occasion, easily taking you from day to night, from work to work out – and ensuring that you get more out of every moment in your day, by making it smarter and ultimately more personal and fun."
The Gear S2 boasts a 1.2-inch circular display running at a resolution of 360×360 pixels, a dual-core 1GHz processor, 512MB of RAM and 4GB of storage. Samsung says the Gear S2's battery will last for two to three days.
Samsung's new smartwatch will come in two models. The first is simply referred to as the Gear S2, while the second, the Gear S2 Classic, is inspired by more traditional watches. A 3G version of the Gear S2 will also be available, allowing users to receive text messages and calls when their phone is out of range. Notably, the Gear S2 will not require a physical SIM card. Instead, it will feature an "e-SIM", an embedded rewritable chip that can connect to any telco the user has a plan with.
While past Samsung smartwatches have only been compatible with its own smartphones, the company has yet to confirm which devices the Gear S2 will be able to pair with.
Samsung says pricing and availability will be confirmed closer the Gear S2's Australian launch.
"We are very excited to confirm that the Samsung Gear S2 smartwatch will arrive in Australia soon," said Samsung in a statement provided to Australian media. "The Gear S2 demonstrates Samsung’s commitment to being a pioneer in wearable device innovation and advancing our smartwatch category."
International pricing and availability hasn't been confirmed either.
