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
GPS	No		Yes, with A-GPS
NFC	Yes
Sensors	9-axis pedometer PPG heart rate monitor Dual microphones Ambient light sensor
Speakers	No		Yes, mono
Battery	250 mAh, 3.8 V Li-Ion (non-removable)		300 mAh, 3.8V Li-Ion (non-removable)
Battery Life	Up to 48 hours (mixed usage)
Battery Charging Method	Qi wireless charging dock
Available Colours	Dark Gray, Silver	Black	Dark Gray, Silver
Strap Type	Fluoroelastomer	Leather	Fluoroelastomer

 

Unboxing The Samsung Gear S2

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 :

• One Samsung Gear S2 smartwatch with large straps attached
• One Samsung Gear S2 charging dock
• One Samsung 3.5 W travel adaptor
• One pair of small straps
• Two Quick Start Guides (in English and Mandarin)
• One Warranty booklet

 

The Unboxing Video

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!