A month ago, Samsung officially unveiled their new flagship smartwatch, the Gear S2, and today it goes on sale. After 2 years of odd designs, Samsung finally paid attention to what was happening in the wearable market around them and introduced a sleek, round device. Starting at $300, you can find the smartwatch at Amazon, Best Buy, and (oddly) Macy’s. The device is available in two models, the S2 and the S2 Classic. The Classic features a smaller watch face and, breaking the pricing mold, is actually $50 more expensive than the larger S2. Interestingly, the Classic is one of the smallest Android Wear watches available currently. In a first for Samsung, the Tizen powered device is compatible with other makes of Android phones, no longer limiting its audience to Galaxy users. The S2’s standout feature is its rotating bezel, which behaves similarly to Apple’s Digital Crown, providing users an input method to interact with and control apps. Note: a version of the S2 with a cellular antenna will be available “later this Fall” for an undisclosed price at AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile.
With a smart design and a wide range of compatible devices, we can see that the Gear S2 has the potential to be a big hit. With several compelling Android compatible smartwatches hitting the market this Autumn at similar prices, including the 2015 Moto 360 and Huawei Watch, it will be interesting to see where consumer interest falls.
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