Agree, it looks really nice in pictures. I'd wear it in public.
I hope the build quality is nice, i've tried an older Samsung watch and the round Motorola and they feel so cheap on the wrist (a $40 Casio or a cheap Seiko have better metal bracelets)
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Samsung to Add iOS Support to Gear S2 Smart Watch Later This Year
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Agree, it looks really nice in pictures. I'd wear it in public.
I hope the build quality is nice, i've tried an older Samsung watch and the round Motorola and they feel so cheap on the wrist (a $40 Casio or a cheap Seiko have better metal bracelets)
Des this mean they have an unfair advantage in the case making industry having first access to new iPhone designs? Or unfair advantage on shipping a web browser with a phone? Or a monopoly on iPhone notification centres - because they don't allow third party versions of that either.
Not only the square screen. The design, the thickness, the rounded corners, the way it sits on the wrist, all these things combined make the watch look like a toy.
Go to a watch dealer and try a proper square watch like a JLC Reverso. You'll see what i'm talking about.
Sorry CarlJ, you're wrong on this one.
It's only natural that smartphone displays should be shaped like this:
If you go with a Stainless Steel version and a nice strap or link bracelet, it's anything but nerd-ware... I'm a big fan of mechanical watches, so I was very aware of the nerd-looking smart watches out there (looking at you Pebble!!) and this is not one of them....
Yeah. Clever that - if there was ever an excuse for a bit of form over function & appeal to tradition its on a device that is fundamentally half-jewelry, half-gadget like a watch.
...only if the apps are designed for a square dial. Since all G2s have round faces, apps will be optimised for that. Personally, I much prefer an analog display for the most important function - telling the time - which looks great on a circular dial.
Biggest fail was the Motorola with the "circle-with-a-bite-out" face, which stopped app designers filling the screen with a circular dial.
Also, a circular watch looks more comfortable for something you're gonna strap to your wrist.
The bezel looks like a much better interface than Apple's digital crown, too - turning a watch crown while its strapped to your wrist is a fiddle.
What planet are you from? Watches have been a fashion item since forever.
If you're going function-over-form, the Pebble Time has an always-on display, visibility in bright light and week-long battery life that ought to be the end of the argument, but I'd certainly concede that it looks cheap & low res.
Based on pictures and reviews, the Samsung floats my boat more than the Apple Watch. However, I think I'll wait until someone comes out with an always-on display that looks nicer than the Pebble.
My problem is that I remember the 70s and the early red-LED digital watches where you had to press a button to see the time - the Apple Watch design reminds me of that (not in a good way). That's also going to be a problem with the samsung, but the 'classic' version with the bezel offsets that slightly.
The problem with the Gear S watch, either last years or this years is that it is running Tizen. It will always have limited developer support so limited selection of apps.
I have the Gear S watch from last year. I wore it barely three months and gave up using it and went back to my old trusty Casio G-Shock. Why? Because it does the main thing a watch should do and that's tell the time without having to push a button or flick my wrist a certain way to light up a display.
I have the Gear S watch from last year. I wore it barely three months and gave up using it and went back to my old trusty Casio G-Shock. Why? Because it does the main thing a watch should do and that's tell the time without having to push a button or flick my wrist a certain way to light up a display.
Sorry CarlJ, you're wrong on this one.
It's only natural that smartphone displays should be shaped like this:
...that would actually be a much nicer shape, ergonomically, for making phone calls. Nice to hold, puts the mouthpiece by your mouth, the earpiece by your ear, you can pick it up without accidentally pressing 6 touch-sensitive buttons and you could wedge it against your neck for 'hands free' use.
Of course, it wouldn't fit in your pocket so well - but if that wasn't an issue it would be a better design for a handset. Even in the 1960s they could have made it smaller (remember the Trimphone?) or put it in a box with rounded corners... but they didn't, because it was a good design for a (non-portable) phone handset.
Likewise, all watches could have been made square since forever (especially since the advent of digital) - and some are - but round ones have remained popular, maybe because its more comfortable to have a round watch on your wrist?
The circular clock face has been technically obsolete for decades but, guess what, its actually a bloody good way of representing the time, that lets you do simple time calculations (e.g. what time will it be in 20 minutes?) and approximate readings (its about quarter to) visually without resorting to mental arithmetic.
looks better than the apple watch thats for sure. nice tablet till you read core m
If it's just for the looks I'll take this one over the AWatch every day.
Regarding functionality I'm still much better of (compared to both) with my 19€ Casio....
Regarding functionality I'm still much better of (compared to both) with my 19€ Casio....
Not gonna lie, I do like the UI of this watch. Much nicer than the Apple Watch.
Actually this is great news! I prefer the more classic round style and the rotating bezel is cooler than that big knob. Already there are a multitude of custom watch faces and you can design your own- can't do that on the Apple watch. It also has a Heart Rate Monitor. Best news is it will be able to connect to one's iPod or iPad which Apple won't let its watch do. The Samsung S2 Classic is a way better choice in my opinion than the Apple one at this time.
I think the stainless steel looks really nice but unfortunately it also is way overpriced imo for something that could be a yearly upgrade for many people
[doublepost=1452088440][/doublepost]I have the feeling that Apple Watch 2 is going to have a much much smaller heart rate monitor and that will allow them to make it a bit thinner and hopefully make it consume less power
I like the look of the Gear S2 far more than the Apple Watch. It just needs to be a little smaller. I'd never get one but I think it looks better.
I got the impression the focus was on Pebbles and Fitbits, which were more like $100...
Maybe I just have a hard time remembering Android Wear exists because no one has one.
But I'm sure the pricing point I made is disputable.[doublepost=1452090844][/doublepost]
A big question I have is whether the future Watches will be able to support previous wristbands. So if I buy a Milanese Loop Watch today, can I then get a Watch 2 with a sport band and swap them out? Not that I'd necessarily do this, but that would probably result in less hesitation to upgrade.
Mad Mac Maniac
macrumors 601
Really? Can you expand on that? I messed around with one for a few minutes at a T-mo store so my experience is limited, but it seemed pretty good to me. I actually think the looks are pretty good and simply come down to personal preference. I really like the rotating bezel idea; hit it out of the park IMO. Advantages over the digital crown. Of course I didn't have enough time to form an opinion on any of the actual functionality/usability (granted the most important part). I'm in the "competition is good" crowd, so I'm hoping it is good. Why was your experience poor?
(This coming from a mostly satisfied apple watch user)
I feel that one of the issues with square vs round right now is that we cant use the screen fully. Ideally 3rd party watch faces will be the answer. The best example would be looking at the Hermes watch face, it uses the space better than lets say a circle inside a square or the huge digital watch face
I don't. You just seem really upset about Apple Watches for some reason and I'm curious why. I like mine quite a bit.
The silly argument is saying that laptop or movie screens aren't round, so watches shouldn't be, because you ignore the value of round displays and their ability to provide information at a glance, in things like speedometers, tachometers, pressure gauges, and yes, clocks. You're not reading the NY Times or watching movies on your watch. You're getting the time, seeing steps toward a goal, or screening notifications. Only for notifications can you make an argument for a square face as something more immediately consumable.
Last edited by a moderator:
but at least you can fill the area around the round watch face with complications on a square display
[doublepost=1452093745][/doublepost]
I got the impression the focus was on Pebbles and Fitbits, which were more like $100...
Maybe I just have a hard time remembering Android Wear exists because no one has one.
[doublepost=1452090844][/doublepost]
A big question I have is whether the future Watches will be able to support previous wristbands. So if I buy a Milanese Loop Watch today, can I then get a Watch 2 with a sport band and swap them out? Not that I'd necessarily do this, but that would probably result in less hesitation to upgrade.
I think if you look at the size of the digital crown and the size of the connector for the band you will get an idea as to the thickness of the second apple watch. They can make it much thinner without changing those things
If Apple designed this watch, everybody would be praising the design.
A square will always show more area then a circle with in the same size.
x^2 > pi*(x/2)^2
(x being the diameter of the circle)