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Samsung to Add iOS Support to Gear S2 Smart Watch Later This Year

driceman said:
I noticed that before Apple entered the market the price range seemed to be exclusively $100-200, with the focus being on it being a cool gadget rather than actually looking good.

When Apple entered, they considered that a watch is a fashion statement and tried to make one that was both a cool gadget AND a fashion statement (I quite like the look of my Watch- although this is one of the few Apple products where I genuinely think it could do with being a bit thinner just to improve the looks). Now pricing is creeping right up so it's more of a "luxury" product than a gadget. Not that any of the tech companies have contemplated making a $10,000 gold watch except Apple. :p
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Not to mention the Tag smart watch is far superior to the Apple Watch Steel in every way, really.
 
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Unlike some of the people on these forums, I won't let my love for Apple force me to hate Samsung. If I'm being 100% honest, that watch design is very nice. It looks like a high end watch that can go with any outfit rather than the more "techy" look of the square Apple Watch. The only real issue I see is that is runs Tizen. If I could get Watch OS in a watch design like this, I'd be front in line at the Apple Store at release.

It would be really nice if Apple offered a circle version of the Apple Watch 2 (in addition to the regular square version) in order to fit more peoples styles.
 
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Robert.Walter said:
I'll be surprised if Apple allows a competitor's watch to operate on iOS in a native fashion.

More likely it will operate over an app and with limitations as to the depth of its access and integration into the iPhone.
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You know you raises an interesting question for me, especially following Apple leveraging their unique access to the OS with their latest opus, the external battery hunch-pack, over their competitors products, and charging a premium for it.

This restricted access to the OS to enhance its own products, reminds me of Microsoft bundling IE with Windows, giving it exclusive access and tighter integration with the OS, that competitors didn't have.

I have to wonder if this isn't going to become a problem for Apple sooner rather than later. Certainly they can't be accused of having a monopoly on the smartwatch market, but their domination of the mobile phone market is getting up there. And once they are shown monopolizing certain OS features to the exclusion of their competition on a dominant platform, it won't be hard to apply to other products where they are doing the same thing, even if not a monopoly.
 
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AustinIllini said:
At least they look like watches...

...and not cheap toys like the Watch
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What makes the Apple Watch look like a cheap toy? A non-round screen? There are plenty of mechanical watches that aren't round.

AustinIllini said:
Not to mention the Tag smart watch is far superior to the Apple Watch Steel in every way, really.
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Ok I'll bite. How so (aside from your personal opinion that round is better than square)?
 
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I can't warm up to the Apple Watch's hardware design either. Maybe I find that shrinking the (IMO elegant) iPhone 6 design in height and width, but not thickness, turns it from an elegant form factor into an ugly, featureless chunk.

All a matter of taste, obviously, and I'm not claiming I could design a better looking smart watch.
 
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Alenore said:
Isn't it what a lot of Apple user have been doing for a long, long time now ? I don't say that in a trolling-way, but Apple is known for their "form over function".
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Lol, TAG has quite the amazing ecosystem that makes it worthwhile to go without some features, for all the convenience and cross compatibility, does it?
No? Then hardly a comparison.
 
Mac 128 said:
You know you raises an interesting question for me, especially following Apple leveraging their unique access to the OS with their latest opus, the external battery hunch-pack, over their competitors products, and charging a premium for it.

This restricted access to the OS to enhance its own products, reminds me of Microsoft bundling IE with Windows, giving it exclusive access and tighter integration with the OS, that competitors didn't have.

I have to wonder if this isn't going to become a problem for Apple sooner rather than later. Certainly they can't be accused of having a monopoly on the smartwatch market, but their domination of the mobile phone market is getting up there. And once they are shown monopolizing certain OS features to the exclusion of their competition on a dominant platform, it won't be hard to apply to other products where they are doing the same thing, even if not a monopoly.
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The one big difference between what happen with MS is they don't make the hardware. People wanted to buy a computer and put another OS on it and at the time you couldn't get a non apple machine off the shelf and not get Windows on it and have the difference refunded to you. Even thought EULA stated otherwise. Since apple creates the hardware and software it gives them a unique position market wise. Thing is competition can put an app in the store to work with their devices.
 
terminator-jq said:
Unlike some of the people on these forums, I won't let my love for Apple force me to hate Samsung. If I'm being 100% honest, that watch design is very nice. It looks like a high end watch that can go with any outfit rather than the more "techy" look of the square Apple Watch. The only real issue I see it that is runs Tizen. If I could get Watch OS in a case like this, I'd be front in line at the Apple Store at release.

It would be really nice if Apple offered a circle version of the Apple Watch 2 (in addition to the regular square version) in order to fit more peoples styles.
Click to expand...

I feel the same way. The Samsung watch looks nice. There are some nice details and it has a classic look. The Apple Watch is already dated in my mind. It looks too much like an iDevice, not a piece of fine jewelry. I much more appreciate the classic direction Samsung took.
 
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driceman said:
I noticed that before Apple entered the market the price range seemed to be exclusively $100-200, with the focus being on it being a cool gadget rather than actually looking good.

When Apple entered, they considered that a watch is a fashion statement and tried to make one that was both a cool gadget AND a fashion statement (I quite like the look of my Watch- although this is one of the few Apple products where I genuinely think it could do with being a bit thinner just to improve the looks). Now pricing is creeping right up so it's more of a "luxury" product than a gadget. Not that any of the tech companies have contemplated making a $10,000 gold watch except Apple. :p
Click to expand...

Huh? The first android wear devices were more between 200-400.
 
as an owner of apple watch from day 1. i have to say that compare to Gear 2, Apple watch looks like something made by Fisher Price
 
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timborama said:
Why? I quit wearing my Apple Watch after a month, and switched to Gear S2. It's much better overall than the Apple Watch.
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To be fair though the Gear S2 is a 2nd gen watch? Apple Watch is still gen 1. Maybe in time it will get better
 
Elbon said:
In general, I'm a huge Apple fan, but I have to say that I hate the design of the Apple Watch. It just looks like a tiny square iPhone strapped to your wrist. Total nerd-ware. However, if they ever release a round one, I'd definitely consider it.
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This is the one time Apple chose function over form. A round watch display doesn't show as much info, which is the whole purpose of the watch, not to be fashionable. But I still like the Apple Watch design. Could be a bit thinner though.
 
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Gimme a break.

Many people on tech forums have NO IDEA of what a good looking watch looks like, so they tend to gravitate towards the idea that a watch must be round, just because.

Many classic designs are square; take the Tag Monaco, for example: a wonderful square watch, thicker than the Apple Watch. Nobody ever complained (I still own one myself).

The Tag Connected, on the other hand, is a monster watch. It's huge, and it won't look good on any outfit.

The Apple Watch looks GREAT with modern style clothing. It's perfect with Neil Barrett, Rick Owens clothes and the like; it's by far the best looking choice with that kind of style among the watches I own (I own a lot, I'm a vintage Rolex collector).

This Samsung stuff looks like crap.

PS: here in Italy the must-have watch for young people (yes, basically everyone 18-25 wears a watch in Italy) is a golden Casio. Square.
 
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I'm returning my Gear S2 after a week of using it...just not impressed enough by it. I'd be tempted to try out an Apple Watch, but my S6 Edge obviously won't work with it...
 
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Mac 128 said:
You know you raises an interesting question for me, especially following Apple leveraging their unique access to the OS with their latest opus, the external battery hunch-pack, over their competitors products, and charging a premium for it.

This restricted access to the OS to enhance its own products, reminds me of Microsoft bundling IE with Windows, giving it exclusive access and tighter integration with the OS, that competitors didn't have.

I have to wonder if this isn't going to become a problem for Apple sooner rather than later. Certainly they can't be accused of having a monopoly on the smartwatch market, but their domination of the mobile phone market is getting up there. And once they are shown monopolizing certain OS features to the exclusion of their competition on a dominant platform, it won't be hard to apply to other products where they are doing the same thing, even if not a monopoly.
Click to expand...
I hope it does indeed snowball into a problem for Apple so we can have a more robust set of choices as consumers.
 
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