Samsung partners with renowned Italian designer to create exclusive bands and watch faces for the Gear S2

Samsung has a history of partnering with luxury brands to create accessories for its devices, think Swarovski and Montblanc, it’s doing something similar for the Gear S2. The company has teamed up with renowned Italian designer Alessandro Mendini to create exclusive bands and watch faces for the Gear S2, it’s latest smartwatch that touts a versatile circular design and a custom UX. The company says that its partnership with Mendini is part of its commitment to offer customers with more custom options that help them express their personal styles while remaining connected with the world.

Alessandro Mendini is credited with playing an important role in the development of modern Italian design, he is popular for pushing design boundaries by mixing different cultures and sensibilities without paying much attention to the conventional notions of function. Samsung says that this design philosophy aligns Mendini with the company’s approach to create wearable devices that “redefine the culture of mobile communication through a functional, yet incredibly chic and personal experience.” The collection of exclusive bands and watch faces for the Gear S2 from Alessandro Mendini will be available when the smartwatch goes on sale next month.

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Samsung Pay goes live on the Gear S2 in November

Even though the company announced the Gear S2 smartwatch a couple of days back it talked about the new wearable device in detail at its IFA 2015 keynote today, we even got pricing and availability information for some markets. You might be aware by now that the Gear S2 comes with NFC and it has that technology for one purpose only and that’s to support Samsung Pay, the company’s new payment service that has gone live in South Korea and will go live in the United States later this month.

Samsung Pay will enable Gear S2 owners to effortlessly pay for their purchases through the smartwatch without even having to pull out the smartphone. However the NFC payment feature is only going to work if a Samsung Galaxy device compatible with Samsung Pay is paired to the smartwatch so you’ll need to bring the smartphone along anyway. The company has said that Samsung Pay will go live on the Gear S2 starting November, merely a month after the smartwatch is released to the public. Obviously Samsung Pay is only going to work in supported markets, South Korea and the U.S., but the company does promise to expand its payment service to additional markets across Europe and China possibly by the end of this year.

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Carriers in Canada release Android 5.1.1 for the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 edge

Android 5.1.1 Lollipop has already been released for the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 edge in many markets across the globe but users in Canada are just getting a taste of this update today, carriers in Canada have now started to roll out Android 5.1.1 for the aforementioned devices. The update arrives merely two weeks after the Galaxy Note 5 and the Galaxy S6 edge+ went on sale in the country.

Several new features are included in this 475MB update categorized simply as “new and / or enhanced features” in the changelog, security enhancements, improvements to performance stability and user interface are also onboard. Rogers was the first major carrier in the country to roll out this update for the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 edge, the carrier has also said that with this update it’s going to activate Voice over LTE for these handsets.

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Samsung teams up with Barnes & Noble to launch Galaxy Tab S2 NOOK

Barnes & Noble, the largest retail bookseller in the US, has today announced that it’s teamed up with Samsung yet again to launch another Galaxy Tab with NOOK branding. This time we’re looking at a modified version of the 8-inch Galaxy Tab S2, which is now available to purchase in the United States for $399 from any of B&N’s brick-and-mortar stores or its website.

The device is almost identical to the original Galaxy Tab S2 — inside and out — but unlike its counterpart this one comes pre-loaded with NOOK’s standard suite of apps and an extremely simple custom user interface as opposed to Samsung’s TouchWiz UI. Users will also get complimentary access to Microsoft Office and a $5 voucher for the NOOK store.

According to Barnes and Noble the Galaxy Tab S2 NOOK is its third Android tablet to be fully optimised for reading. Its built-in software is primarily designed to give users instant access to media, such as books, magazines, videos and TV shows. Seeing as the device runs a custom build of Android 5.0 Lollipop, users also have the ability to take advantage of the Google Play Store to download apps, games and music.

In terms of specifications, the slate sports an 8-inch QXGA Super AMOLED display, a 64-bit Exynos 5433 octa-core processor with four cores running at 1.9GHz and the other four at 1.3GHz, 3GB of LPDDR3 RAM, 32GB internal storage (expandable up to 128GB via microSD), an 8MP rear-facing camera, a 2.1MP selfie shooter and a 5,870 mAh battery

If you want to check out the tablet from all angles, then take a look at the promotional images in the gallery below:

Will you be picking up the Galaxy Tab S2 NOOK? Be sure to let us know in the comments section below.

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Samsung teases Galaxy View, an upcoming large screen tablet

Do you remember how Samsung teased the Gear S2 during the announcement of the Galaxy Note 5 and the Galaxy S6 edge+? Samsung has just teased a large screen tablet in a similar way during the announcement of the Gear S2 smartwatch.

The new tablet, which is called the Galaxy View, is supposed to feature a large touchscreen display. Also, as it is has the term ‘Galaxy’ in its name, it should most probably be based on Android operating system. If you can remember, we exclusively reported about an upcoming 18.4-inch tablet from Samsung a few weeks ago, and it is currently under development.

The SM-T670 could be the Galaxy View, but we are not completely sure about it. The SM-T670 is expected to feature a large 18.4-inch TFT LCD display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, an octa-core 64-bit 1.6GHz Exynos 7580 processor, 2GB RAM, 32GB internal storage, a microSD card slot, and a 5,700 mAh battery. It will also feature an 8-megapixel primary camera and a 2.1-megapixel secondary camera.

We currently don’t have any additional information about the Galaxy View tablet, but we will surely come up with some more information in the coming weeks. Till then, stay tuned!

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[Poll] What smartwatch size do you prefer?

Samsung has announced and showcased its most advanced smartwatch yet, the Gear S2, at the IFA 2015 event today. It is one of best equipped smartwatches till date, be it hardware specifications or software features and apps. However, many consumers feel that a smartwatch should essentially be a watch first before focussing on the smart part of the device. Unlike first generation smartwatches, the wearable devices that were released this year have some sort of customizability by offering different watch sizes, colours, watch bands, and watch faces.

The Gear S2 comes in three different variants; the Gear S2, the Gear S2 3G, and the Gear S2 classic, something to suit almost everyone’s needs and preferences. Samsung is offering customizability through third-party watch bands, but it’s not offering screen size variants. All the variants feature the same 1.2-inch circular Super AMOLED displays. The Gear S2 and the Gear S2 3G have 42 mm cases, but the Gear S2 classic with a 39 mm case seems really small for people with big wrists.

Do you think that Samsung by not offering a plus-sized variant of the Gear S2? Let us know what smartwatch size do you prefer in a poll that’s embedded below. Also, check out our detailed hands-on experience with the Gear S2 smartwatches where we explored their hardware and the software features. Do let us know what you think of the Gear S2.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

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Samsung Gear S2 hands-on: Also works with non-Samsung Android devices

Samsung, which is the largest filer of patents in wearable technology, was one of the first big-name brands to enter the smartwatch space with the Gear smartwatch and other fitness tracking devices. The company teased its next-generation Gear smartwatch, the Gear S2, during the announcement of the Galaxy Note 5 and the Galaxy S6 edge+, and then unveiled it earlier this week.

In fact, Samsung announced three new Gear smartwatch variants, the Gear S2, the Gear S2 3G, and the Gear S2 classic, something to suit everyone’s needs. Samsung, has focussed not only on the features, but also aesthetics and design of its smartwatches.

Specifications

All the Gear S2 variants feature 1.2-inch circular Super AMOLED displays with a resolution of 360 x 360 pixels, resulting in a pixel density of 302 ppi. The display is surrounded by a new innovative rotating bezel and two dedicated physical buttons. It runs a newer version of Tizen-based wearable platform, and is powered by a 1GHz dual-core processor with 512MB RAM, and 4GB internal storage.

That 1.2-inch completely circular Super AMOLED display is bright and looks stunning!

These smartwatches are equipped with Wi-Fi b/g/n, NFC, and Bluetooth 4.1 LE connectivity options. The Gear S2 3G comes with an e-SIM that helps in achieving cellular connectivity for voice calls and data even when a smartphone isn’t around. A bunch of sensors including a heart-rate monitor, an ambient light sensor, a barometer, an accelerometer, and a gyroscope help the device in collecting activity, fitness, and health related data as well as in performing efficiently.

Specifications comparison: Gear S2 vs. Gear S2 3G vs. Gear S2 classic

The Gear S2 and the Gear S2 classic have 250 mAh batteries, while the Gear S2 3G has a 300 mAh battery. All these smartwatches are IP68-certified for dust- and water-resistance, and can be charged using the supplied magnetic charger. We had a brief time with the Gear S2 smartwatches at the IFA 2015 event that is being conducted in Berlin this week, and here’s our hands-on experience with these brand new wearable devices.

Design and Customization

The Gear S2 classic resembles the design of a classic watch, complete with a genuine leather band, and has a 39mm case. If you don’t like the supplied band, Samsung is also offering a number of bands that are easily changeable. The Gear S2 resembles a sport watch with minimalistic and modern design, and comes with a 42mm case. All the watches have a really good looking design, something that can easily rival their competitors.

 

Samsung will offer more than 20 customizable watch faces out of the box. More watch bands and watch faces will be offered through third-party vendors.

As a part of watch customization, Samsung has bundled more than 20 watch faces that can be changed by long pressing the watch face and selecting the one you like from the list. Moreover, you can customize each of those bundled watch faces, so you can have hundreds of watch face combinations. Samsung also states that it has partnered with various vendors to offer a number of watch bands and watch faces in the future to help users achieve a perfect level of Gear S2 customization.

 

All three variants look very premium, but the Gear S2 classic seems too small for people with large wrists.

Overall, the Gear S2 smartwatches look premium and very watch-like, but the only problem we found with them is their size. They are too small for people with big hands, and Samsung currently isn’t offering any variant with a large watch dial size or display size. We really hope that Samsung comes up with a large screen variant of the Gear S2 (Gear S2+, maybe?)

Software, Features, and User Interface

In our brief time with the Gear S2 we found that the new circular UI is really fast, intuitive, and addictive. The bezel acts as a key part in navigating around the UI. The bezel can be rotated to the left to see all the notifications, while rotating it towards right gives you access to widgets and apps. The dedicated home and back buttons offer precise and fast UI navigation. You can quick reply to messages and mails using voice dictation through S Voice or by using the on-screen keyboard

 

Unlike its predecessor, the Gear S2 is compatible with non-Samsung Android smartphones as well.

Now coming on to the big and interesting feature, the Gear S2 smartwatches, unlike their predecessors, will be compatible with non-Samsung Android smartphones. Yes, you read that right! The Gear S2 will be compatible with any Android smartphone running Android 4.4 and above with 1.5GB of RAM. Samsung will soon launch the Gear Web Store for consumers who wish to use the Gear S2 with non-Samsung Android smartphones and tablets. At the launch, the Gear Web Store will also be home to more than 1000 apps that are custom built to be used on the Gear S2.

The Gear S2 can automatically recognize activities and workouts, thanks to S Health.

Apart from an ability to measure heart rate, these smartwatches also give users an easy-to-understand 24-hour activity their complete activity-related data. With the S Health app, Samsung has made it easier for the users to track their runs and workouts using the auto-recognition of activities on the Gear S2. There’s a dedicated S Health watch face with two small widgets, which glow in green or grey depending on your activity level and health status. Other popular fitness and activity related apps such as Nike+ Running can also be installed on these devices.

NFC connectivity on the Gear S2 can also be used to perform payments while shopping using Samsung Pay platform. Users can add their credit cards, debit cards, and loyalty cards in their Samsung Pay account for effortless payments solution. These smartwatches have all the fundamental Internet of Things (IoT) features that makes them a part of Samsung’s SmartHome, SmartThings, and SleepSense platforms that were showcased at IFA today.

Pricing and availability

The Gear S2 will cost €349 and the Gear S2 classic will cost €399 in Europe.

We are really excited to test all these Gear S2 variants, and we will post a full-fledged review when these devices become available for purchase. As per the European pricing details that were leaked earlier today, the Gear S2 will cost €349 and the Gear S2 classic will cost €399. These watches will be available for purchase in Finland and Denmark next month, but availability details aren’t revealed for other markets as of now. The Gear S2 3G will be available with all four major carriers in the US. Tell us what you think about these smartwatches, especially since they now also work with non-Samsung Android smartphones.

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