Samsung Malaysia just announced the awesome 2019 Samsung Raya Sale with RM 322,400 (~US$77,400) worth of prizes! Here are the full details!
The 2019 Samsung Raya Sale
To celebrate the upcoming Raya holidays, Samsung Malaysia is doubling the winnings this year to a whopping RM 322,400 (~US$77,400) for their 2019 Samsung Raya Sale!
With the tagline Raya Bersama, Lagi Gembira!, the 2019 Samsung Raya Sale will span from 15 May until 16 June 2019.
All you have to do is buy any one of the selected Samsung Galaxy devices during that period, to stand a chance to win these amazing prizes!
10 X Grand Prizes : The Galaxy Family Bundle (each worth RM 8,484!)
Ten lucky winners will each receive the phenomenal Galaxy Family Bundle, which consists of :
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19 August 2016 – Smartphones have given us the ability to easily transition between work and play, and the Galaxy Note7 is no exception. Equipped with HDR streaming capabilities, which make video content look more vivid and lifelike, best-in-class gaming with new titles supported by Vulkan API, and advanced camera technology, the newest Galaxy Note smartphone provides a rich entertainment experience that’s as mobile as we are. Furthermore, an enhanced Gear VR headset, which now supports expanded compatibility, offers an even more immersive virtual experience.
Truer Colors, A Clearer Picture
To provide a better viewing experience, the film industry has continually improved video resolution—from HD to Full HD to Ultra HD. Most recently, the UHD Alliance, a consortium of production studios, content networks, tech companies and TV manufacturers—including Samsung—shifted their focus to High Dynamic Range (HDR).
Equipped with Super AMOLED Display, HDR video streaming technology enables a cinema-like experience including brighter colors and a deeper black, to ensure users get the full experience that the filmmaker intended.
Now Galaxy Note7 users can stream HDR video in HDR10 format, a standard that denotes a color depth based on a 10-bit signal. Therefore, they can experience the same HDR color and quality on their mobile device as they can on a television.
Samsung was able to bring this extraordinary technology to the Galaxy Note7 by utilizing Mobile Digital Natural Image Engine (mDNIe) technology and the Super AMOLED display.
The powerful mDNIe chipset, which was designed by Samsung, is the most advanced image processing engine to date, and ensures that dark and bright colors appear the way they do in real life. It also makes use of the Galaxy Note7’s 5.7-inch QHD Super AMOLED display—which exhibits the largest range of colors and brightness among smartphone displays—to vividly and clearly express the colors intended by the content developer.
The chipset also allows the smartphone to seamlessly process streamed HDR content without straining the battery, meaning users can stay immersed in their favorite TV shows and movies for even longer.
All Fun and Games
In February, Samsung set a new industry standard with the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, which were the first smartphones to support Vulkan, an API that brings more robust and responsive performance and power efficiency to gaming.
Samsung once again incorporated Vulkan into the Galaxy Note7, giving gamers the ability to play high-performance, graphic-intensive games for even longer, and also giving developers an unprecedented tool to create unique gaming experiences.
With the Galaxy Game Pack, available through Google Play, users can access top game titles, an easy redemption process and new user benefits.
Virtual Reality Gets Real
Since the launch of the first Gear VR in 2014, Samsung has continued to innovate in the VR space by offering a robust VR ecosystem with the Gear 360 as well as an enhanced Gear VR headset.
Brought to life by the Samsung Galaxy smartphone, Gear VR provides engaging content, putting users in the center of the action for a more immersive experience. By pairing the Galaxy Note7 with the new Gear VR powered by Oculus, the latest version now supports USB Type-C and micro-USB port connections, giving even more users access to the world of VR.
Furthermore, with improved lenses and ergonomics, the updated headset lets users more comfortably view 360-degree videos and create Gear 360 content. These memories can then be shared with friends via platforms including YouTube 360 and Facebook, and can be relived through the ultra-immersive Gear VR. Together with the Galaxy Note7, the new Gear VR is a gateway to new experiences and great adventures.
Picture-Perfect
The Galaxy Note7 is equipped with the advanced camera that debuted on the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, allowing users to capture important memories in true-to-life colors. Dual-pixel technology, a wide aperture and fast autofocus work together to capture sharp images, even in low-light conditions, so that users never miss a shareable moment.
While the camera of the Galaxy Note7 boasts the same great specs, it has been updated to provide a more streamlined, intuitive user experience.
With improved lenses and ergonomics, as well as expanded compatibility with more Samsung smartphones and USB devices, the new and improved Gear VR headset challenges the very concept of virtual reality, redefining the limits of what it’s capable of.
Brought to life by the Samsung Galaxy smartphone, Gear VR provides the ultimate in engaging content, putting users in the center of the action for a more immersive experience. Together with the Galaxy Note7, the device is a gateway to new experiences and great adventures.
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A Refined Design
The most evident change of the Gear VR is its new body color, Blue Black. Not only does this new hue enhance the device’s aesthetic, but it also helps to prevent light reflection to provide a more cinematic experience than the previous model. In addition, the device now also features a home key that instantly directs users to Oculus Home, the official landing page of Gear VR.
Expanded Compatibility, Enhanced Connectivity
With two different device holders—USB Type-C and Micro USB—included as inbox items, the new Gear VR is compatible with more Samsung smartphones, including the Galaxy Note7, S7, S7 edge, Note5, S6, S6 edge and S6 edge+.
Furthermore, an external USB port (USB Hub 2.0) has been added to enable connectivity with third-party USB devices, as well as charging during use. With the ability to connect to a wider array of external sensors, motion controllers, 4D experience tools and OTG USB memory, Gear VR offers an experience that is more interactive than ever before.
Optical Lenses That Can See More
The new Gear VR headset is also equipped with larger lenses. With an increased diameter of 42 millimeters, the lenses improve the field of view to 101 degrees to offer a more natural feel.
And, with Samsung’s crystal clear Super AMOLED displays, users can enjoy low persistence images, along with a high 60 frames-per-second frame rate for less motion blur and juddering. As a result, virtual reality content viewed on the Gear VR is now even more realistic.
Seamless Navigation of More Contents
To enable users to make full use of the new Gear VR, Samsung offers a vaster selection of high quality VR content with intuitive content navigation.
With the Gear VR web browser, users can browse more than 300 VR apps including over a hundred games, along with a variety of videos, educational apps and immersive experiences. The Samsung Picks section offers a list of 15 recommended apps for those looking to try something new.
The browser is easy to use, and the immersive graphic user interface creates a seamless environment so users can enjoy their favorite 2D and 3D contents.
Forward looking and backward compatible, the new Gear VR is capable of breaking down the barriers of what today’s virtual reality technology can do, and what tomorrow’s can offer.
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Following the SEA Forum announcement on mySamsung app earlier this year, Samsung Malaysia Electronics is proud to announce the arrival of mySamsung programme in Malaysia. This is an ownership programme that both new and current Samsung customers can access through a mobile application (“app”). The app will help customers manage their devices, provide easy and direct access to customer service representatives as well as share ownership privileges to get the most out of their Samsung devices.
mySamsung Programme
The mySamsung programme provides assistance to customers right out of the box. Whether they are new to Samsung or upgrading from another device, most customers need help with devices. They may not always know where to go or what to look for and might not be aware of specific features or content. This app will help recommend the right tool for easy onboarding. Once the device is set-up, the app provides useful tips from customising the device to highlighting security features as well as using the various functions such as the camera.
Current customers will also benefit from the mySamsung programme. The programme provides notifications and recommendations for customers to optimise their device usage as well as provide tips and suggestions ranging from extending battery life, to saving device memory. They can also enjoy direct access to customer service with one tap through the app.
The mySamsung app is compatible with Android OS 4.3 (Jellybean) and above.
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mySamsung App
The mySamsung is preloaded into the following devices :
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At Samsung Forum 2016, Samsung revealed details of the mySamsung homebase app. Nicholas Wodtke (Vice-President) and Karen Peck (Marketing Director), of Samsung SEA & Oceania’s Media Solutions Centre, showed off the new mySamsung app in an in-depth session, which we have recorded for you.
The app is an extension of the regional mySamsung ownership program. It lets both new and current Samsung customers manage their devices, get easy and direct access to customer service representatives as well as obtain ownership privileges to get the most out of their Samsung devices.
What Is The mySamsung App All About?
The mySamsung app is designed to be a homebase app – a one-stop app that every Samsung customer can use to access customer service, device information, and ownership privileges.
In this video, Nicholas Wodtke and Karen Peck explain the idea behind mySamsung, and demonstrate how it works. Check it out :
[adrotate banner=”4″]The mySamsung app is compatible with Samsung smartphones from Samsung Galaxy S4 and above, and phablets from Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and above. However, the mySamsung ownership program is currently only offered to owners of :
The mySamsung app and ownership program are already available in Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines, but will soon roll-out for Samsung customers in New Zealand and Taiwan. If you haven’t installed it yet, go and give it a try!
Screenshots
Here are screenshots of the mySamsung app, showing you the setup process, as well as the options available in the app.
The app will come pre-installed in new Samsung models, but users of older models can download the app for free from the Google Play Store.
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The second Samsung Galaxy S7 edge pre-order was a smashing success. Even more successful than the first pre-order, by all indications. Even though the second pre-order had less discount and fewer freebies than the first pre-order, Samsung sold twice as many Galaxy S7 edge smartphones in 1/3rd the time – 2,000 in 1 hour, instead of 1,000 in 3 hours!
In the first pre-order, successful customers got a shock when they received their confirmation email with the title of “Samsung Gear S2 Pre-order”. But the email contents were correct, so the reuse of the Samsung Gear S2 pre-order email template only resulted in some chuckles.
The second pre-order also has its own email snafu, but this time, it’s far, FAR more serious. Take a look for yourself and see if you can spot the problem :
Did you figure it out? Take a second or third look, if you must. It’s obvious, but you would be surprised how many people miss it the first time around. 😀
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Will Samsung Honour This Email Snafu?
If you haven’t figured it out yet, Samsung reused the email template from the first Galaxy S7 edge pre-order. They corrected the title but left everything in the content unchanged.
This is a BIG problem because the first pre-order offers a 20% discount, a complimentary 128 GB microSD card and an extra year of warranty, while the second pre-order only offers a smaller 15% discount and a complimentary 64 GB microSD card, with no warranty extension.
Those who received the first pre-order email wrongly are now asking – will Samsung Malaysia honour the contents of their confirmation email?
We just reached out to Samsung Malaysia, and will update you on what their decision is on this issue.
But even if they are unable to honour the admittedly wrong contents of these second batch emails, those who succeeded in the second pre-order should be happy that they are getting a great deal. It is still better than paying full price for the Galaxy S7 edge without any freebie, right? 😀
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After the chaos of this morning’s Galaxy S7 edge pre-order “battle”, many Samsung fans were left disgruntled about spending hours trying to load the pre-order registration page. Even the lucky few who finished the pre-order process had to endure long wait times. We do not know how many people were up in the wee hours of the morning to reserve one of the 1,000 pre-order units, but we know that they were sold out in the first 3 hours.
To assuage the disappointment of many Samsung fans who missed the opportunity to be one of the first to buy the Galaxy S7 edge, Samsung Malaysia has just announced an extension of the pre-order with a new deal. Sadly, the new deal is not as amazing as the original deal, but it is still a very nice offer. Check it out!
Update @ 2016-03-08 : The second pre-order sold out after about one hour. Full details below.
New Galaxy S7 edge Pre-Order Deal
The new pre-order will begin at 10:00 AM tomorrow morning (March 8th, 2016) for another 2,000 units of the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge. Samsung fans who take up this second pre-order offer will be entitled to a 15% discount off the recommended retail price (inclusive of 6% GST) as well as a complimentary 64 GB microSD card.
In summary, the next 2,000 lucky customers who pre-order the Galaxy S7 edge will receive :
a 15% discount off the recommended retail price of RM 3,099, paying only RM 2634.15 (~US$ 629)!
a 64 GB microSD card.
If you are interested in this new pre-order deal, here are the steps to guarantee your pre-order :
Select a Samsung store to collect the device from.
Upon the order confirmation, you can then collect your Galaxy S7 edge on March 17 – a day before the officialMalaysian launch. Yes, you will be one of the first few Malaysians to own the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge before everyone else!
So set your alarm clock and get your credit card out, because only 2,000 units will be available for this second pre-order on a first come, first serve basis.
SOLD OUT In One Hour! New!
Samsung Malaysia just announced that their second pre-order promotion for the new Samsung Galaxy S7 edge smartphone sold out after just one hour!
To address the overwhelming demand for the new Galaxy S7 edge smartphone, Samsung Malaysia Electronics will be preparing attractive offers at the nationwide Galaxy S7 edge roadshows that will roll out after the official launch of the Galaxy S7 edge on March 18, 2016.
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Samsung set 5 whole days for the pre-order, but frankly, we expected the Galaxy S7 edge pre-order to sell out within hours, and it looks like we would be right. Right after the stroke of midnight when the Galaxy S7 edge pre-order mini-site was activated, it has been hammered so hard, it was impossible for us to even load the registration page properly.
In fact, it is now just past 2 am and we still have not been able to completely load the registration page.
Update @ 2016-03-07 : Samsung has just announced an extension of the pre-order campaign, with a new deal. Check it out!
Some People Succeeded
Our friend, Tc Pun, somehow managed to complete the process and pre-order his Galaxy S7 edge at about 1 am. His friend also made it about 15 minutes later. They had to use Telerik Fiddler to do it though. It pays to be a techie! 😀
What’s really funny though is that when he received the pre-order confirmation by email, it was titled as the Samsung Gear S2 Pre-order… 😀
Looks like someone at Samsung Malaysia reused the Samsung Gear S2 pre-order email template and forgot the change the title… Oh well, at least the email contents are correct! 😀
Sold Out!
As of 8:30 am, we can confirm that Samsung Malaysia sold all 1,000 Galaxy S7 edge smartphones they reserved for this pre-order. They probably sold out hours ago but we didn’t wait up to check! 😀
* From the comments of disgruntled customers who failed to register themselves for the pre-order, it looks like the entire pre-order sold out at around 3 am.
So we were right that the Galaxy S7 edge smartphones would sell out in hours, not 5 days as allocated by Samsung Malaysia. That said, maybe they will extend the offer, or introduce a different offer? We will find out soon enough! 🙂
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Bloomberg recently reported that Samsung Pay has less than half the users of Apple Pay. 5 million versus 12 million. That puts it on the same level with Android Pay, which is frankly impressive in its own right. However, the chart below does not tell the whole story.
Apple Pay vs Android Pay and Samsung Pay | Credit : Bloomberg
Apple Pay has so many more users because they had a year-long head start over its two rivals. If we consider how long they were in the market, Samsung Pay and Android Pay signed up an average of a million users per month. Apple Pay, on the other hand, averaged 706,000 new users per month.
That means, both Android Pay and Samsung Pay are growing 42% faster than Apple Pay.
Why Samsung Pay Did So Well
Samsung Pay only worked with the 5 Samsung Galaxy devices during the survey (the newly announced Galaxy S7 and S7 edge do not count). Yet, they managed to sign up as many users as Android Pay, and sign new users 42% faster than Apple Pay.
That is likely due to the fact that Samsung Pay is easier to implement than both Apple Pay and Android Pay. Samsung Pay works with the old magnetic stripe terminals as well as the newer NFC payment terminals. Apple Pay and Android Pay, on the other hand, only works with NFC payment terminals.
In other words, Samsung Pay works with any credit card terminal anywhere, while Apple Pay and Android Pay will only work at retailers that have upgraded to the new NFC terminals.
Samsung Pay Demonstration
At the recently-held Samsung Forum 2016, we were given an exclusive briefing and demonstration of Samsung Pay. Check out just how easy it is to pay using Samsung Pay. This is why Samsung will have an easier time driving its adoption over their two rivals.
The only downside with Samsung Pay is that it is limited to Samsung’s top-of-the-line Galaxy smartphones. If Samsung adds support for their other smartphones with NFC chips, their adoption would probably be much higher. Here are the 7 Samsung Galaxy smartphones that support Samsung Pay :
In H2 of this year, consumers in Australia, Brazil, Spain, Singapore and the United Kingdom will be able to try out Samsung Pay on their Samsung Galaxy smartphones.
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The main hurdles that we spend a lot of time thinking about are inspiring mass adoption, creating great content, and continuing the discovery of what virtual reality is capable of.
Widening the consumer base is a top priority. Virtual reality can (and will) be a revolutionary platform for gaming and entertainment, but we’ve been seeing firsthand just how far the medium can reach. We now have the power to traverse great distances in no time at all and walk a mile in another man’s shoes. VR has the power to transform how people feel about one another.
How can virtual reality continue to reshape journalism and news? How can virtual reality affect education and learning? Every new revolutionary technology, be it the cell phone or the laptop, is pushed to the limits by humanity. How do we use this thing in a way where our lives are greatly improved? Virtual reality is no different.
2016 will see the continued push to explore how virtual reality can transform existing modes of communication, bring people closer together, and make our lives more streamlined.
Next, creating great content. I think we’re entering a period of rapid experimentation and exploration. I think over the course of the next year we’ll see a lot more narrative exploration in virtual reality. Storytellers are already retraining their brains to think in 360º, and so many great VR experiences already exist. I believe that great storytellers can tell a great story using anything.
As more and more companies and studios invest in virtual reality, we’re going to see some really great narrative experiments. We’re still at the infancy of this new art form. It took cinema decades to invent the close-up. Even longer to invent the match-cut. So on and so forth. As technology grows more widespread and the creation of virtual reality experiences becomes democratized, we’re going to hear from new voices.
The simplest way we arrive at compelling content in virtual reality is to imagine what would be compelling to experience in real life. In a lot of ways, virtual reality is the closest we’ve come to inventing a teleportation device. You can take anyone from anywhere and transport them into moments, experiences, and stories. Virtual reality can eliminate the proximity between people, places, and things in a way that I haven’t seen done before.
It’s helpful to think about what kinds of characters you want your audience to interact with, and how you’ll want the audience to remember them. That’s really what the storytelling goal should be: to create memories. Once you’ve got that in mind, you can reverse engineer everything else. We’re going to start seeing stories that take us to faraway and impossible locations, and stories that blur the lines between our world and the virtual one.
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February 17, 2016 – Samsung Electronics’ Dongjin Koh will unveil the company’s latest mobile products at Unpacked in Barcelona on February 21, challenging consumers to rethink what a phone can do. Koh, who was appointed President of Samsung’s Mobile Communications Business in December 2015, is responsible for driving Samsung’s global mobile business, from smartphones and smart wearables to emerging mobile services.
Having joined the company in 1984, Koh has worked for Samsung for just over 30 years now. Prior to being named president, he served as the Executive Vice President and Head of the Mobile R&D Office within the Mobile Communications Business. As the Head of the Technology Strategy Team from 2007 to 2015, he created strategic alliances with partner companies to help bring innovative technologies to market as well.
Koh was also responsible for bringing key innovations to software technology when he was Head of the Samsung R&D Institute in the U.K. His background also includes a decade’s worth of experience in Human Resources, where he learned the company’s efforts to increase employee engagement and operational excellence throughout the organization.
Koh sat down with Samsung Newsroom to discuss the business’ vision for 2016, as well as his own personal objectives, ahead of the highly anticipated launch of the next Galaxy device.
Video Of Interview With Dongjin Koh
Interview Transcript
Q1. As leading Samsung Mobile business, what would be your missions to overcome the stagnant mobile market?
The mobile market has entered a new phase of maturity.
As one of the mobile industry leaders, my biggest mission is to keep offer new values and extended benefits of new technologies to our customers.
I believe that the mobile industry is shifting from just competing to produce a technology-driven device to providing a more life-essential tool and a gateway to stay connected to the world.
We should try something new, something that’s never done before in order to provide a beyond-satisfactory mobile experience to our customers.
Q2. How will you bring sound changes to Samsung Mobile business by leveraging your hands-on experiences?
Throughout my entire career and life, I’ve always put “people” first.
Having them in my mind, I’d like to encourage active discussions and sound debates within the company for further improvements.
It eventually lead to a “cultural transformation”… I am visioning something like venture spirit injected into this big company.
I myself always try to listen first, think deeper, be generous to everyone, and win people’s heart.
I’d like to share this with my whole team as an acting leader as well as a new culture influencer.
Q3.How do you envision Samsung Galaxy brand for the users and customers?
[adrotate banner=”4″]Samsung Galaxy has achieved meaningful and relentless innovation over the several years.
We have not accepted the imposed limits.
We have enjoyed adventures.
We are not afraid of limits, or fear the unknown and will always keep moving forward.
Our Galaxy brand philosophy is to try new things, new inventions.
A great example is the Samsung Galaxy Note, which opened the so-called “phablet” market, and we’ve done the same again with the “dual edge experience” of the Galaxy S6 edge smartphone.
Our mobile vision remains the same; relentlessly pursuing technology development that will help enrich people’s lives.
Our competitive spirit and drive to challenge ourselves is already in Samsung Mobile’s DNA.
Q4.Please tell us about the upcoming announcement in February 21.
Samsung is always pushing the frontier of what’s possible.
Galaxy S7 is created to deliver a unique mobile experience in many ways.
I am very confident about the result for our hard works for the past several months and can’t wait for our consumers’ feedbacks.
I’d like to express my sincere and deep appreciation to my fellow colleagues who devoted hard works to come up with the Galaxy S7.
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Kuala Lumpur, January 29, 2016 – Reflection on the smartphone market in the past couple of years suggests that innovation in this segment has plateaued. The smartphone has consolidated into a standard rectangular touch screen with a powerful processor, a highly capable camera and as big a battery as is possible within the constraints of a sleek design.
But innovation hasn’t come to an end — it’s just harder than ever to make a significant advancement. Improvements are largely incremental, and manufacturers face a challenge to make their devices stand out in the current smartphone “sea of sameness”. Samsung’s use of a dual-curved display, for example, helped the company to set its flagship Galaxy S6 edge apart from Android-powered rivals, and Apple’s addition of 3D Touch to its latest iPhone gave a new dimension to its now-familiar design.
The reality is that such changes are a far cry from the major disruptions seen in the past fifteen years, with the transition of the market from candy bars to flip phones, to sliders and more unusual designs like circular handsets.
However, we shouldn’t lose sight of the progress despite a perceived slowdown in innovation. Billions of consumers now carry a device in their pocket that’s more powerful than the PC they owned just a few years ago, and these handsets are able to connect with others via 2G, 3G, 4G, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi network technologies.
It’s true that consumers might not be as excited about smartphones as they used to be. But CCS Insight’s latest forecasts anticipate that a staggering 1.6 billion smartphones will be sold in 2016 — a figure that’s expected to rise to nearly 2 billion by 2019. The smartphone has become part of the fabric of society, and is now the most prolific consumer electronics device on the planet.
It’s not so long ago that mobile phones were about little more than making and receiving phone calls. But they’ve become our constant companions — our cameras, our music players, our portable TVs and our gateway to the Internet and a host of apps. The innovation doesn’t stop, and now you can even clip your phone into a headset and be transported into a world of virtual reality. Smartphones have made that possible, and CCS Insight expects that millions of consumers will be using their handsets in this way by the end of 2016.
The competitive landscape inevitably changes as markets mature. CCS Insight believes that success lies with the companies that have the scale and resources to compete in a world where margins are squeezed even as volumes rise. Apple’s current momentum seems unstoppable, but Samsung remains the largest manufacturer of smartphones by volume. This scale is its most important asset as it faces challenges from ascendant Chinese manufacturers like Huawei, which have built on their home-market advantage to expand on a global basis.
The connected device industry is also diversifying into new areas, with wearables presenting a growing opportunity. CCS Insight forecasts that sales of wearable devices will triple from 2016 to 2019, with sales of almost 250 million units and a market value of more than $25 billion.
We expect 2016 to be a tipping point for wearables, as they evolve from niche devices with functional designs to more fashionable products with broader appeal. I’m confident that 2016 will finally see the arrival of stylish options that ordinary consumers will want to wear.
[adrotate banner=”4″]These devices are also beginning to offer more compelling features, particularly in the area of health. We anticipate that 2016 will mark a shift from what CCS Insight terms “recreational health” to more meaningful functions that can closely monitor a user’s condition and make a difference to their life.
The advent of the Internet of things — a term loosely encompassing a wide variety of connected devices — demonstrates that innovation isn’t confined to devices that we carry or wear, either. This segment will become more defined in the coming years as companies focus on specific market opportunities like the Internet of sport, medicine or transportation, and our homes will become more connected.
The secret to success will be making the user experience as seamless as possible, and big players like Amazon, Apple, Google and Samsung have the opportunity to lead the way in this next wave of development. Furthermore, the smartphone will continue to play an important role, often being the device used to control many of these new experiences.
I strongly believe that the perception that industry innovation has plateaued is far from the end of the story. Further disruptive moves will emerge as our lives become even more connected, and innovation will come from a variety of avenues including machine learning and artificial intelligence. I continue to have unwavering enthusiasm for connected technology, and look forward to being among the first to try these new experiences as they’re developed.
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The new Samsung Gear S2 smartwatch was officially launched in the US on the 2nd of October, 2015. However, eager Malaysian fans had to wait until the 27th of November before it hit our shores. Demand was so high that the first batch of 500 Gear S2 smartwatches sold out within 16 hours!
As a result, we had to wait until earlier this month to receive our own Samsung Gear S2. Today, we are proud to share with you our unboxing video and pictures, as well as our first impressions. The forthcoming review will have a slew of additional videos to show you how it all works.
The Samsung Gear S2
The Samsung Gear S2 comes in 3 different models – the Gear S2 (Bluetooth), the Gear S2 classic (Bluetooth) and the rare Gear S2 (3G). The model we will be looking at today is the Samsung Gear S2 (Bluetooth), which is also known (unofficially) as the Gear S2 Sport. Let’s take a look at the differences between the 3 models.
Specifications
Samsung Gear S2
(Bluetooth)
Samsung Gear S2 classic
(Bluetooth)
Samsung Gear S2
(3G)
Dimensions
42.3 mm wide
49.8 mm tall
11.4 mm thick
39.9 mm wide
43.6 mm tall
11.4 mm thick
44.0 mm wide
51.8 mm tall
13.4 mm thick
Weight
47 g
42 g
51 g
Display Type
1.2" full circular Super AMOLED display
Display Resolution
360 x 360 pixels
Display Pixel Density
302 ppi
Display Protection
Corning Gorilla Glass 3
Chassis Protection
IP68-certified
- dust-proof and water-resistant up to 1.5 m in depth for up to 30 minutes
User Interface Controls
- capacitive touch screen
- rotating bezel
- Back and Home buttons
Operating System
Tizen
System Chip
Samsung Exynos 3250
Qualcomm Snapdragon 400
CPU
1 GHz ARM Cortex-A7 (dual-core)
1.2 GHz ARM Cortex-A7 (dual-core)
Memory
512 MB RAM
Internal Storage
4 GB flash memory
Memory Card Slot
No
Connectivity
Bluetooth v4.1
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
3G (electronic SIM only)
Bluetooth v4.1
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
The Samsung Gear S2 comes in a circular box, instead of a rectangular box of the earlier Gear S smartwatch. The model details and key specifications are printed on the lower half of the box. A single seal (broken in the last picture) ensures that the Gear S2 inside has not been tampered with.
When you cut the seal and remove the top half, you will find the Samsung Gear S2 sitting on a white tray. Remove the Gear S2 and you can remove the tray. You will find all of its accessories nicely arranged in the compartments below.
[adrotate banner=”4″]When you take everything out, you should find the following items :
If you prefer to watch the unboxing process, we have just the video for you. Check it out :
In the next page, we will take a look at the Samsung Gear S2 and its accessories. We will also give you our first impressions of this smartwatch.
Wireless Charging
Unlike the earlier Gear S model, the Samsung Gear S2 smartwatch uses a Qi wireless charging dock. This is so much better than the clip-on battery extender / charging dock used by the Samsung Gear S. It’s smaller and less cumbersome to use.
All you have to do is slide the Gear S2 over the wireless charging dock and it will magnetically lock on and start charging. The Gear S2 will also change the orientation of the clock face so that it will display properly on the dock, no matter which way you put it on.
The Samsung Gear S2 comes with a small 3.5 W travel adaptor. This is a low-power adaptor because the Gear S2 is only powered by a small 250 mAh battery. Although it can also be used to charge your other devices, it will take longer than usual because it only has a power output of 3.5 W.
You can actually power the charging dock using any USB port on any computer or power bank. So if you are travelling with a computer or power bank, you can leave this travel adaptor at home and just pack a USB cable.
Extra Straps
The Samsung Gear S2 comes with two pairs of fluoroelastomer straps. The Large straps are attached by default, with a pair of Small straps included in the box.
The straps are locked using a proprietary clip. They can be frustrating to remove at first, but once you get the hang of it, it’s quite easy to remove and replace the straps.
Quick Start Guide
As mentioned before, the Samsung Gear S2 comes with two Quick Start Guides – one in English, and the other in Mandarin. The Quick Start Guide is a must-read for all Gear S2 users. It teaches you the basics of using the Gear S2, including how to remove and attach the straps.
As the Samsung Gear S2 is quite different from its predecessor, you should go through it even if you own and use the earlier Gear S smartwatch.
Our First Impressions
We are so far very impressed with the Samsung Gear S2. It was a massive redesign, switching from the geeky, rectangular Gear S to a more elegant round face. Samsung also made it slimmer and lighter, making it much easier to wear for a whole day.
The addition of a bezel was a very smart move because it allows the Gear S2 to be operated (somewhat) underwater. Samsung actually one-upped Apple by adopting the bezel. The bezel is much easier (and more intuitive) to use than the small crown on the Apple Watch. As a bonus, it doesn’t stick out.
We also noted that the Gear S2 has a much better ability to recognise rain drops and showers, automatically turning off by itself. The earlier Gear S would run amok under a shower. Unfortunately, the Samsung Gear S2 may have problems with water, despite its IP68 rating.
[adrotate banner=”4″]Despite its small battery, we noted that the Samsung Gear S2 is more than capable of lasting one and a half days non-stop. Our preliminary battery life tests recorded a maximum battery life of 38 hours. This is 10 hours less than Samsung’s estimate but this is our real world test with both Bluetooth and WiFi enabled.
The wireless charging dock is a joy to use. Just slide the Gear S2 over it when you go to bed and slide it off when you wake up. Best of all, it comes with the Gear S2 – a similar Apple magnetic charging dock would set you back an additional US$79.
The biggest impediment to mass adoption of the earlier Gear S smartwatch was the fact that it had to be paired with a Samsung Galaxy smartphone. Samsung appeared to have learned their lesson and “opened up” the Gear S2 to support other smartphones, as long as they run on Android 4.4 or better and have at least 1.5 GB of RAM.
Stay tuned for our full review and other articles on the Samsung Gear S2!
