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Samsung Unveils Gear S2, Gear S2 Classic Smartwatches Running Tizen

Posted by Soulskill on from the still-won't-run-crysis dept.

MojoKid writes: Samsung announced their latest smartwatches the other day, the Gear S2 and Gear S2 Classic. At a hands-on press event in New York this week, Samsung had the Gear S2 and Gear S2 Classic up and running. Both of these smartwatches feature 11.4mm-thick casings and 1.2-inch, 360x360 displays that are completely circular, unlike the "flat tire" displays used on the Moto360. At the heart of the Gear S2 is an undisclosed Samsung-sourced 1GHz dual-core processor paired with 512MB of RAM. NFC technology is incorporated into the watches as well, which will support Samsung Pay in the near future. The Gear S2 and Gear S2 Classic are IP68 certified for dust and water resistance and there will be versions with and without integrated 3G connectivity. Both watches feature a rotating ring around the display, in addition to two buttons at the side, intelligently located at 2 and 4 o'clock to minimize accidental actuation, for navigating the various menus and apps. Samsung allows user customization of some watch-faces to show personalized info, and offers dynamic watch-faces with notifications presented on-screen at all times, along with the time.

29 of 53 comments (clear)

  1. So... by binarylarry · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Are these running Android Wear or Samsung's shitty tizen os?

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    1. Re: So... by binarylarry · · Score: 1

      Watched the video, looks like tizen :(

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    2. Re:So... by Billly+Gates · · Score: 1

      They are the best because they can take calls and have a much larger screen.

      My coworker who has one simply laughs at the Android ones because of the silly circular screen and the fact you still need a phone to take a call. With Tizen you can drive and everything and do conference calls

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    3. Re:So... by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 1

      As does the title of this Slashdot submission.

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    4. Re: So... by KGIII · · Score: 1

      Isn't Tizen, I've never used it - obviously, considered to be pretty much the absolute worst programming target/language in common use and has zero redeeming qualities? I seem to recall that they had lousy help documents, a crappy SDK, and required esoteric knowledge for zero gain. I was reading about this a few months ago as I recall. I seem to recall some of the rants led me to the daily WTF site. I don't recall a single person defending it.

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      "So long and thanks for all the fish."
    5. Re:So... by davester666 · · Score: 2

      Right in the fucking title: "Samsung Unveils Gear S2, Gear S2 Classic Smartwatches Running Tizen"

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      Sleep your way to a whiter smile...date a dentist!
    6. Re:So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Obligatory DailyWTF regarding Samsung's Tizen: https://what.thedailywtf.com/t...

      Shiver me timbers.

    7. Re: So... by tlhIngan · · Score: 3, Informative

      Isn't Tizen, I've never used it - obviously, considered to be pretty much the absolute worst programming target/language in common use and has zero redeeming qualities? I seem to recall that they had lousy help documents, a crappy SDK, and required esoteric knowledge for zero gain. I was reading about this a few months ago as I recall. I seem to recall some of the rants led me to the daily WTF site. I don't recall a single person defending it.

      Well, you remember E? That is, Enlightenment? One of the hit popular window managers way back when?

      That's the foundation of Tizen. Well, Tizen isn't E, but both use the same libraries - the Enlightenment Foundation Libraries, or EFL. And EFL... well...

      FYI - Samsung is a major sponsor of E. As for defenders, I suspect they already work for Samsung and were the ones that convinced management to use EFL for their new smartphone OS.

    8. Re:So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Right in the fucking title: "Samsung Unveils Gear S2, Gear S2 Classic Smartwatches Running Tizen"

      Yep, and Slashdot 'editors', especially Soulskill, never ever fuck up.

      I'm so glad we have you here. Do you happen to run a newsletter I can subscribe to?

    9. Re:So... by davester666 · · Score: 1

      Well, the OP certainly didn't phrase it as a "is this a mistake?". It's pretty clearly phrased as "what OS are these running?", which is just as clearly answered in the title. I suppose the editor could have fixed up the title after he posted the question, but it's more likely he just didn't read much of anything before posting.

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      Sleep your way to a whiter smile...date a dentist!
    10. Re: So... by Zoxed · · Score: 2

      My RSS feed (over NewsBlur) shows the title first without then with the OS reference, so you look correct.

    11. Re:So... by Hognoxious · · Score: 2

      Yeah, it does, but it's from MojoKid. If he told me the sky was blue I'd look up to check.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    12. Re:So... by Krojack · · Score: 1

      But if you want apps for it then you will need a Samsung account on their app store. Also if you want to use Samsung Pay via the watch then you will need a Samsung device that supports their pay.

    13. Re:So... by binarylarry · · Score: 1

      That was added after I posted.

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    14. Re:So... by davester666 · · Score: 1

      Yeah, sorry about that. I didn't notice that the title changed.

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      Sleep your way to a whiter smile...date a dentist!
  2. Battery life by LazyBoot · · Score: 2

    And battery life should fall somewhere in the 1 – 2 day range, depending on how heavily the watches are used.

    I think I'll pass...

    1. Re: Battery life by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I took my apple watch off the charger 19 hours ago, it's at 58%.

    2. Re:Battery life by jon3k · · Score: 1

      This always confused me. Do you take your watch off at night? I do, so I could just put in on my charger. Just like my phone, I don't sleep with it, so I just sit it on the dock at night, which charges it.

      Genuinely curious, why do you need more than 1-2 days? You have to take it off anyway, why not just charge it?

  3. Get a real watch by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    I have a Casio calculator watch, chicks dig it.

  4. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 1

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  5. Why not the Firefox OS? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    I think that these kind of wearable devices would really benefits from the Firefox OS. First, the Firefox OS is from Mozilla, and Mozilla is known for making the best softwares. Second, the Firefox OS embrace open web technologies like JavaScript, HTML5 and CSS3, which are the best there are. Third, the Firefox OS is open because it's from Mozilla and because it uses open web technologies. Fourth, the Firefox OS uses Linux kernel. Fifth, the Firefox OS can be used for the embedded softwares and hardwares. Sixth, the Firefox OS is big show in India, the country of softwares. Seventh, the Firefox OS is use important w3c standards. Seven points make me thinking that the Firefox OS is good choice! It is be best choice even!

    1. Re:Why not the Firefox OS? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I think that these kind of wearable devices would really benefits from the Firefox OS. First, the Firefox OS is from Mozilla, and Mozilla is known for making the best softwares. Second, the Firefox OS embrace open web technologies like JavaScript, HTML5 and CSS3, which are the best there are. Third, the Firefox OS is open because it's from Mozilla and because it uses open web technologies. Fourth, the Firefox OS uses Linux kernel. Fifth, the Firefox OS can be used for the embedded softwares and hardwares. Sixth, the Firefox OS is big show in India, the country of softwares. Seventh, the Firefox OS is use important w3c standards. Seven points make me thinking that the Firefox OS is good choice! It is be best choice even!

      Why isn't this post modded up?? This is the most hilarious post I've seen on Slashdot all year. And that includes Bennetts drivel.

  6. Re:Beautiful by lord_mike · · Score: 2

    A year is a little extreme. The pebble watched get a week, and if you turn it off at night, you can go longer than that. I seem charge mine so infrequently, I'm not sure how long I go between charges, but it's more than 7 days that's for sure (I turn it off at night to save power).

    The new models have color and a microphone if you are interested, and I believe it has at least partial android wear software compatibility.

    The black and white screen models are dirt cheap now if you want to give it a try...

  7. Re:Minus 4,/ Tkroll) by MobileTatsu-NJG · · Score: 2

    Every time I see posts like this I wonder if somebody has an AI they're trying to raise on the internet.

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  8. A day is fine by SuperKendall · · Score: 1

    As long as the watches last a solid day (16+ hours) charging every night is not really much of a burden. It's mid-day charging that's much harder.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  9. Re:No a day is not by junkhead70 · · Score: 1

    If it needs charging more than once a year it's not worth having it as a watch. I'm sure most smartphones come with a clock. Our bedside tables are filling up tech on the charge.

  10. So long as it keeps the time by aNonnyMouseCowered · · Score: 1

    I'm ok with smart watches that run for mere days so long as they keep the time even when the smart functions go zombie, sort of like the way an unplugged desktop PC can still keep within tolerable limits of the correct time when you do a cold boot after a couple of days or weeks.

    Obviously I don't own a smartch so this is partly a question. Do these things have an auxiliary power pack similar to the BIOS battery of a PC?

  11. Re:Great, more toys for rich Republicans by johnlcallaway · · Score: 1

    And the Apple watch is a toy for even richer liberals. Must be, because it has fewer functions and costs more. (The low end Apple watch doesn't have the same type of screen glass as the one that is priced just higher than the Samsung watch.)

    Did you actually have a point???

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  12. Re:Beautiful by johnlcallaway · · Score: 1

    Bull shit on the battery life. I get 3 days on my Samsung watch, 4 if I turn mine off at night. I've had it for over a year and haven't noticed any change in battery life either. I'm sure there are some people that get only 2 days, I did when I first got it and was looking at it every 5 minutes.

    They need to add a wireless charge option though, my Samsung phone has that. No reason the watch can't.

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