Looking for a smartwatch with smart features ? Then there is something you can expect from Samsung Gear 2. Gear 2 is the new edition watch that is not limited to show time only. It does more than that. This is a new league of Smart Watch. Samsung has re-launched this product in order to make it more better compared to its predecessor. There are some noticeable changes. Samsung has introduced Tizen Os in Gear 2 instead of Android.
This is a big decision where Samsung finally gave up Android on the device. That is the reason we get a more refined interface and faster working device. The watch is easy to wear with fitness tracking, notification and music control feature. With this there is a tiny camera on the front side that can help you to take photos. It gives you quiet a nice range of connectivity. the connection will not drop. This watch has a IR controller. That means you can also control your TV through that after configuring it properly. To use Gear 2 you need Samsung compatible device. It won’t work on others. The best match is Galaxy S5. Gear 2 brings more changes in the specs. It is more better.
Galaxy Gear 2 is bit costly but a very handy product through which you can enjoy smart usability. Gear 2 might fascinate you in the features but it will also disappoint you when it comes to price. It is not confirmed that Samsung will drop the price. To make Gear 2 more useful Samsung has worked on the fitness thing. This watch can be your ideal companion for health. New version means better battery and durable design. Gear 2 is water and dust proof. You can use it in rough weather. It comes in two color which is rose gold and silver. It looks pricy but as per the features this watch will amaze you and your friends.
Design:
Gear 2 does give you changes in design, but it gives you durable output. That means you can take it with you in pool or in rain. Waterproof and dust proof design extends its usage. Watch is one of the most common thing we wear and it remains with us for the entire day. So there are chances that in bad weather you have to remove it and keep it aside. This limit the usage. Through durable design you have to less worry about the damages. Gear 2 has its own unique style. Compare to the first version the second is more better. At the first time when I saw the product I thought this will be a kind of douche bag device. But not it is very helpful. Comparing will not help much with the first version. We would better concentrate on the second one.
Gear 2 wore Tizen OS. This limits one thing. You cannot use android apps on it. If you have any better fitness app then you cannot use it. Tizen is android based but bit different. This OS is light and functional. It boost your battery output also. It has a friendly UI and many feature are easy to understand. You can use it in two ways. you can tie it on your wrist or you can use it with the straps. This are changeable. It has as metallic button which is easy to access. The screen on the front side is not very big. But reasonable. The dimension lies around 36.9 x 58.4x 10.0 mm. It is also a bit heavy compared to my regular watch. Gear 2 has attractive look. The build material looks premium. At the front there is a 1.63inch OLED screen. Which gives maximum visibility. The contrast is just perfect. You can use it in sunlight or in dark room the visibility is not so affected. With a single flick you can change music, check your notifications, etc.
Multimedia:
Change your music through the watch. No need to remote your phone in public. You get 4Gb internal storage in the watch itself. you can keep your favorite songs in it and connect it through a wireless headphone. Just copy paste the audio files through your pc. Or you can connect the same to your phone and control the audio in it. Gear Manager also has a feature through which you can send music to the watch. The default player is nice with all required features. You can change the songs by swiping the album art. The interface is not very great but good for a audio player.
To control volume you have to use the screen which is not easy. The icon is very small and you have to press exactly on the same place. This needs practice. I was expecting a button on the watch for that. There are few multimedia apps which are quiet helpful when you are using the watch. You can play songs or you can simply control your iTunes.
Performance:
Being a watch things will be always limited, but being a Smart watch you have more to do here. You are not just limited to see time 1.63inch screen on the front is enough to give all controls. While other buttons are limited. Most of the time I a using the touch screen only. The watch is good from all angle. But there must be volume control buttons. So that you can instantly change it without seeing the watch. You can get use to it quiet easily once you are capable of understating all he faetures. The battery life, connectivity everything is simple here. For performance you do not have to test much. You can use dedicated apps when you are doing workout.
The screen is small but somehow manages all the settings and information. It will be good if this watch is having a bit more bigger screen. So that you can easily move your fingers around the screen when you have to read some important updates. Tizen Os brings limitation to app installation also. It has a app menu from where you can get different application for different purpose. One thing I like is that the watch goes in sleep mode when you are not using it. But when you lift your hand to see time it wakes up automatically. That is pretty smart. The app also has different modes. You can receive calls through the watch. Audio output is decent.
Connectivity:
Samsung has added as IR Blaster in the watch. I am not sure whether this is good or not, but through this device you can control your TV. You can just sit back and if you are unable to find your remote then no need to worry. Just use the watch to control TV channels. You can use this only through the remote app. After testing it for a while I found Gear 2 supports maximum amount of TV models. You won’t get all the functions of remote . The range here is also very good. You can control the TV from distance of 10feet or higher. It just works perfectly.
Health and Fitness Applications:
Once of the biggest benefit you will get is controlling your fitness through this app. Those who walk daily or jog needs some kind of tracking thing that can tell them about the time. Gear 2 comes with more advance features for that. It will track your daily step and will give you your actual workout result. It has a different apps that can help you to do different activities quiet easily. Through gps you can get simple navigation details. You can check your distance also. It has a heart rate monitor that also keep a track on your heart beat. The pedometer feature is very accurate. It is capable tracking your each and every step. It can tell you the right time when you have to stop. I am really surprised by the gps tracking. I never found my mobile phone so accurate. Gear 2 is an ideal device for fitness freaks.
Battery life:
For any portable device battery matters the most. You will be not happy if Battery drain really fast and you have to put it on changing. As per the specification Gear 2 gives you 23 days of battery power. That means the standby time. I am quiet impressed with the battery output. Once charged you can use it for long time. The battery life is really long. I think you get a entire day battery if you are constantly using it. This is one of the biggest plus point. I am able to get more than 1 day of battery life. The only thing which irritate me is the habit. I had never charged my watch in life. If you forget to charge then you will find complication to use it. Using it for notification and for music will be great. But if you are using it for fitness and navigation then charging at least one time is required.
Conclusion:
Along with all other stuff the watch also give you a tiny 2MP camera. Good for taking selfies. It gives you clear images when you are in light. Being a wearable gadget things are limited on the same. It is really a great product from Samsung. If Samsung can provide non-Samsung compatibility then others can also take benefit. The TiZen OS is new but it is more better. Due to the optimization the watch is able to give you more battery life. It has great design and it is durable. You don’t have to remove it because it is dust and waterproof. Small screen on the front add instant glimpse of notification. You can control your music, make calls, etc. Many tiny work for which we have to remove our phone again and again can be avoided. The battery life is also great. Once charge it nicely works for the entire day. IR Blaster help you to control your TV and Setup box also.
