Samsung has announced the Gear S2, the newest product in their line of smartwatches, ahead of the IFA trade show in Berlin. The Gear S2 has what Samsung describes as a more minimal and modern design, while the Gear S2 classic uses leather and a black finish in an attempt to appeal to fans of traditional mechanical watches.
The Samsung Gear S2 sports a 1.2-inch circular Super AMOLED 360-by-360 display with 302ppi. It runs a dual-core 1GHz processor and comes with 4GB of internal memory and 512MB of RAM. Like the Gear S and the Gear 2 devices Samsung unveiled last year, the Gear S2 will run Tizen, Samsung’s proprietary OS. The 11.4mm Gear S2 includes a rotating bezel, as well as Home and Back buttons for a “more precise method to comfortably access notifications and applications,” Samsung said.
The Gear S2 will come in two versions: Gear S2 and the Gear S2 classic. The classic looks like a more traditional watch with a leather band and black finish, while the S2 is more modern and will be available with a dark gray case and band or a silver case and white band. Samsung has also made some improvements to the battery life, claiming that the Gear S2 will last two days on a single charge. The 3G version of the smartwatch will reportedly last two days.
The rotating bezel of the Gear S2 can be used to navigate through the operating system to interact with apps, and it also uses dedicated Home and Back buttons. Samsung plans to release apps and watch faces designed specifically for the circular display of the Gear S2. Taking a cue from Apple, Samsung designed a new 24-hour fitness activity log for the Gear S2, which will let users view daily progress and get reminders to help them stay on track with fitness goals.
Samsung has not yet revealed details about the Gear S2’s availability or price. The company may release more information during this week’s IFA consumer electronics trade show in Berlin, Germany.