Samsung has released its smart wearable, the Gear S2, early this month and so far, nearly every tech expert is saying that it is better than the Apple Watch and also over other Android Wear smartwatches.
What makes the Samsung Gear S2 a cut above the competition is its simplicity of use. It does not need a rocket scientist to figure out how to operate one. Like a normal wristwatch which does not need to be studied thoroughly how it works, the Samsung Gear S2 practically functions the same way.
According to Tech Insider, the Gear S2 is by far, the easiest smartwatch to use. Getting useful bits of information from apps like notifications, weather, calendar reminders, music controls, and a step counter, the user simply needs to rotate the bezel left or right because everything is on a horizontal plane.
To get more notifications or information from an app on the Samsung Gear S2, the user just needs to tap the relevant screen and then scroll up and down with the rotating bezel.
It’s quite intuitive indeed because it works for both horizontal and vertical scrolling, compared to the Apple Watch which has a rotating crown that only works for vertical scrolling.
Better than the Apple Watch
Accordingly, everything about how one uses the Gear S2 is better than the Apple Watch particularly in terms of rotating bezel, the buttons, and even the Tizen OS.
Using the Apple Watch, one has to swipe up to get to the glances menu and then swipe either left or right to get quick bits of information, which is one extra step more than the Gear S2.
The Samsung Gear S2’s buttons also make a whole lot of sense. The top button is a universal back button and it returns the user to the last screen he was on, which is quite useful if he wants to go back and check another app. Compared to the Apple Watch, the crown button simply takes the user back to the watch screen, which forces him to swipe again to get to the glances menu if he wants to check another app.
The bottom home button on the Samsung Gear S2 takes the user back to the watch face when he is done with the apps. For a shortcut to an app for ultra-quick access, the user can just double press the home button.
But if the user is on the watch face and he presses the home button, it will take him to the app hub, which is almost unnecessary because he already has quick access to the shortcuts of his favorite apps.
Compared to the large oval button on the side of the Apple Watch, which only takes users to the contact wheel, the Samsung Gear S2 certainly makes life a lot easier and less complicated for smartwatch users.
Because it is not using Android Wear for an OS but Tizen, the Samsung Gear S2 is leagues ahead of other smartwatches when it comes to ease of use.
The price is right
What’s even more exciting for consumers is the fact that the Samsung Gear S2 is being retailed for $300 which is a pretty good bargain compared to most other Android Wear smartwatches out in the market today.
The Gear S2 is also compatible with any Android phone running Android 4.4 KitKat or up, even if the smartphone is not made by Samsung.
According to another tech reviewer, the Samsung Gear S2 is the first smartwatch he tried that is functional enough to make him purchase and bring the smartwatch and his wrist into the future, notes Yahoo! Tech.