The Transport Guy: I've never been impressed with a Samsung smartwatch until now

Steve Kovach September 05, 2015 at 08:59AM

Samsung Gear S2 watch face

For Samsung, the seventh time is the charm.

This week, the company announced its seventh smartwatch in two years, the Gear S2. But unlike its predecessors, which were chunky, unattractive slabs of silicon and metal you strapped to your wrist, the Gear S2 is stylish and features intuitive controls.

In a lot of ways, it’s a step ahead ahead of the Apple Watch, the current category leader by most estimates. (None of the companies that make smartwatches have shared sales numbers, so we’re left with guesses from analysts and research firms.)

I spent some time with the Gear S2 this week, and liked a lot of what I saw.

Controls

My favorite part of the Gear S2 is the rotating bezel, which you use to navigate through menus and apps. Whereas it took me a day of poking around to get used to navigating through the various menus, submenus, and app screens on the Apple Watch, I was able to pick up the Gear S2 and find my way around from the get go.

It’s simple: You rotate the S2’s bezel clockwise to move forward or scroll through menus and then tap anywhere on the screen to select what you’ve highlighted. There’s also a home button the side that’ll bring you back to the main watch face. The Apple Watch, on the other hand, requires you to use a mix of controls: rotating the digital crown, tapping various buttons, or swiping the screen to get around. It’s fine once you get used to it, but doesn’t feel as natural as the Gear S2’s controls.

Samsung Gear S2 classic app hub

Design

Design choices are always subjective, but there’s no arguing that the Gear S2 is a leap forward from Samsung’s other smartwatches. The circular screen is bright and sharp, and it comes in a variety of color and strap options. It seemed thick and chunky at a distance, but it looked great and felt comfortable when I put it on, even though I have abnormally scrawny wrists for a six-foot man.

I also like how the Gear S2 looks a lot like a normal watch. If someone passed you on the street, they’d have to clue you had a mini computer strapped to your wrist.

Samsung Gear S2

Customization

Finally, I liked the watch faces that come with the Gear S2. There are several to choose from, and unlike the Apple Watch, third parties are free to design their own for users to download. ESPN and CNN have already made nice Gear S2 watch faces that gives you updates on scores and news, for example. I think that’s a key feature for a smartwatch — not everyone has the same taste, so it’s nice to be able to have a lot of customizable options.

Samsung Gear S2 CNN watch face

The caveats

But — there are always a few buts — the Gear S2 only works with Android devices, which is good news if you’re an Android user because most of the compatible watches have been lackluster so far. I have a feeling this will be the best smartwatch for Android users. iPhone users are out of luck.

Another but: The apps stink. This problem isn’t exclusive to the Gear S2 either. Just like on the Apple Watch, the S2 apps I saw try too hard to mimic the smartphone experience on a tiny screen. It just doesn’t work, and you're better off pulling out your smartphone instead. Very few people have created apps that work well on the watch form factor, which is why I still think smartwatches are best used for checking notifications, the time, and other at-a-glance information like upcoming calendar events.

Samsung Gear S2 missed call notification The third and final but: I don’t think smartwatches are for most people. They’re nice to have, but they're not essential gadgets like a smartphone. For example, I’ve worn my Apple Watch almost every day since I got it in April and love using it, but whenever someone asks if they should buy one, I tell them no. Smartwatches are still accessories that depend on your smartphone to work. And while I love using mine to quickly check notifications or track my fitness stats, I don’t think that’s going to be enough for most people.