Samsung Gear S2

Average battery life, but nicely handles notifications, fitness tracking and somewhat intuitive UI – The Gear S2 (Sport) might be an obsolete watch, but still keeps pace with most user's needs. The UI is fairly intuitive -- spin the bezel of the watch to switch between applications, swipes to access various settings of the app you're in and the two physical buttons on the side lets you either back out of an app or to quick-launch Samsung Pay or… Read more

switch to a last-used application.

Spin the bezel to the left and you'll get dismissable notifications, from which you can also either take action (e.g if it's an email you can Delete / Archive, or if it's a SMS or message from a messenger-like application like Hangouts, you can even reply with canned messages or an emoji).

The watch also supports NFC, allowing you to use Samsung Pay if your bank supports it. Few banks in Australia do and I haven't tested the feature.

The fitness tracking is pretty accurate -- it comes with a built in GPS and heart rate sensor, both of which used in tandem for recording running or biking. The step counter however is simply based on motion sensor data and this usually results in a fairly inaccurate reading -- simply waving your wrist about counts as a step so you should take the information given with a big spoonful of salt.

Battery life -- lasts 2 and a half days at most with light usage, so you'll have to get used to charging the watch at least once every 2 days, and if you're traveling don't forget to pack the charging cradle with you.

Great wearable covers most of what you need – Great wearable covers most of what you need, light weight and good looking. It has a find my phone feature which I use a lot as I leave my phone on silent, the watch vibrates when I get a call I can answer the call or reject it from my watch or phone. I also use the steps and sports feature keeps track of and automatically knows if you are using a… Read more

Bicycle, cross trainer, walking running etc. The only issue I have had the strap broke after a few months and Samsung replaced it. It replaced my Tag Heuer, its that good.

January 14th 2018 Update: Great watch prefer it over a normal watch

It's Great watch prefer it over a normal watch, I have had it for over 2 years and would recommend it to anyone. I mainly use it for keeping my phone silent I get notifications on my watch from the phone, messages emails etc. The only problem I have had is with the watch strap which was replaced after 10 months of use it broke at the join to the watch. great product and small as a normal watch,

Good innovation – Purchased as a gift for my partner. The unit I chose has a black band although there are other stylish colours available. Easy to set up, Interfaced flawlessly with her Galaxy 4. Memory capacity was good. However, she had problems using it as a mp4 player when she was out walking - the volume was not very loud and ear phones from the wrist… Read more

were awkward . This was solved with a third party band from e-Bay designed to be worn around the upper arm. This was a nuisance as it had to be detached from its original band and re-attached to be worn as a watch.

Surprisingly robust. Easy to use. The larger screen allowed her to access all the information on the watch without interfacing with her phone.

Battery life is good.

The charge unit was small and separate from the watch, while this allowed the watch to be fairly water resistant my partner did has a tendency to loose the charger from time to time. There appears to be a lack of applications, but all in all its not a bad watch.

I would recommend this product to a friend and believe this product has been up-dated.

Convenient – So convenient and handy for recieving notifications when you dont have your phone on you or if your phone is on silent. Comfortable bands and dont look bulky or heavy on your wrist. Easy to use and setup. Easy charging. Heaps of apps you can add on it to go with your phone.  Show details

Very good – I have had my gear for 1 year now and my oy issue has been the bands keep breaking. Have had 4 replacement bands in a year. The features are good and complete all the health tracking quite accurately with a sufficient amount of information recorded, especially sleep recording. I cracked the screen but it still works. Durable little device if the bands were more hardy.  Show details

Good But Got Over It – I was all over this when I first got it, but recently dont really wear it. I guess the novelty has worn off to some extent. Part of it is having yet another tech item to charge. The S2 is a good device and it delivers as promised. I used the fitness tracker the most and I set it up for Google pay but only used it twice. Nice design, just too much tech these days!  Show details

Didn't live up to IP rating – I've had this watch for just under 2 years and have had a few niggly problems such as the bands constantly breaking and having to reboot a few times but never really considered them a major issue. I normally always take it off when washing dishes and showering etc but yesterday I forgot and washed my kids hair with it still on. It didn't even get… Read more

directly wet under the shower but afterwards it started flickering like mad then had a line of dead pixels in the centre. Now this morning the screen has gone off completely and won't come back on. It's out of warranty but from what I've read Samsung wouldn't honour it anyway. My advice would be if you think it may get wet buy an apple watch or a G-shock for those occasions and keep the gear for dry times only.

Don't get this if you have an iPhone – Samsung says that the Gear S2 (and newer Gear S3) works with the iPhone. Sure, it does; but there are some very serious compromises. Firstly, connection will regularly drop (randomly). Secondly, there are hardly any apps available to iPhone users in the Gear S app. And finally, many features which work if you have a Samsung phone do not work if… Read more

the Gear S2 is paired with an iPhone, such as Samsung Pay and the S Health features. Overall, if you have an iPhone, it's hard to recommend this- get an Apple Watch instead.

Nice watch, bad battery – I bought two of these watches, one for myself and one for my partner. I liked that they suit both male/female, they are minimilstic and the UI looks cool. The problem. Battery Life: You need to charge this thing at least every second day. I like keeping my watches on at all times. If it was once a week I would be fine with it but I can't… Read more

stand having to charge it so often.

This is the big flaw with most smart watches of today. The technology is amazing but the battery technology can't keep up.

As far as smart watch goes, it's amazing, one of the best.

Nice quality watch – Nice quality watch. I use it mostly for work. It's great to have all your notifications show on your watch so you don't have to dig your phone out on the job. Also it's a good pedometer and heart rate meter as well. Love it. Show reply

Awesome watch – . I use it mostly for work. It's great to have all your notifications show on your watch so you don't have to dig your phone out on the job. Also it's a good pedometer and heart rate meter as well. Love it. Show reply

Great Smart watch – Have had this watch for 2 years and not had any issues. It still works like it did on day 1. No issues with the band like other reviewers and I even wear it during volleyball games. Pretty good at tracking walks, runs, elliptical and general exercise. If the heart rate sensors and voice assistant were better/smarter it would get 5 stars.… Read more

Notifications work well and I use smart lock to keep the phone unlocked while in the proximity of the watch which is handy. Maybe in a year or so I may upgrade, but this device is pretty reliable and other than potentially longer battery life I can't see I would get much more value out of a new one.

Nice watch, great features – Great watch, with wonderful features. Definitely handy to have, especially if you work somewhere quite busy and need to see your notifications at a glance. The only downside is the battery life, which lasts about a day or two. If that is an issue, I would probably recommend the Gear S3. Otherwise a great first step into the smartwatch world  Show details

Loving it – I have this watch from 2 years and working awesome with my old s5. Just having issue with new non Samsung phone. Service centre is also superb and replace belt even just couple of days before 2 years warranty period. Really happy with this watch and battary also last for at least 3 days.  Show details

Watch easily water damaged by usual everyday use – Loved the watch until it stopped working after18months. Samsung said it had liquid damage. It was well looked after, with only the occasional splash of water from hand or dishwashing, which was quickly dried off. It was never submerged in water. Samsung will not honour their 24 month warranty if they consider it liquid damaged. It's clear the… Read more

seal on this watch must be inadequate. Consider how you will use it before purchasing, alternatively treat it like a dress watch.

Limited functionality – Compared to the standards on Android based wearables such as the Google voice recognition, the Gear S2 is significantly behind. Not functional for much, I often use it to receive and read notifications, send calls and quick replies to messages and texts as I am hooked up to my wireless headphones. It is smaller and more stylish than many other… Read more

smart watches out there, and great light weight too.

I'd stick to it if you happened to be with a Samsung phone, and its lasted me nearly a year now no worries. If you had another phone though, I'd consider a more functional other non Tizen based operating system watch.

Great smart watch! Looks like a normal watch! – Bought this watch because it looked more like a normal watch. The watch is great. Screen is clear and easy to read. Functions are fantastic, even when connected to my iPhone I am still able to access most of the functions of the watch. Battery life is better then expected, you get a good day and a half with normal use. Fitness tracker is accurate and measures heart rate regularly. Highly recommended!  Show details

Excellent watch – I bought 2 of these for me and my wife. I also have a Gear S3 Classic which i interchange frequently according to how I dress overall. The good thing about Gear S2 is it's size and weight. It is small enough for a comfortable feeling wrist which is fantastic for someone like me with a small wrist. The battery life leaves something to be desired at… Read more

time with only 2 days of usability with light use. I wish it had a loudspeaker though. Overall, the tracking and connectivity is brilliant.

Great watch - Functionality could better – Bought this at the Telstra store just under a year ago. Wanted it to go with the S8, and it was a bit smaller than the new S3 watch released. The twist navigation works really well, and when it's on, it barely looks like a smartwatch. The Samsung pay facility is good too, no need to take out the wallet or phone to make payment. Changed the… Read more

band to a metal one, easy to switch between this and the leather one.

Battery life isn't great, barely lasts a day, and the new charges for the S3 model are too big for this older model. Otherwise, works well regardless.

Nice watch - highly recommended – I bought the gear s2 as a birthday present and prove to be a worthy candidate, especially so when during driving so that one will not have to look at the phone. You can read your sms messages, whatsapp messages, monitor your sleep too. Looking at getting one for myself too.  Show details

Perfect Companion for Samsung Galaxy Note – I am wearing this watch while doing this review. In fact, I'm wearing it almost all the time, every day! The sports band is surprisingly comfortable, perfect watch size for my wrist, lightweight, good battery life, a huge range of Android Wear Apps, and continuous updates from Samsung. Charging is easy with the included magnetic cradle dock. It… Read more

takes 2-3 hours for a full charge, last about 2 days on average. The text notification feature is very useful, I could read and reply text without taking out my phone. The watch display is great, readable under harsh sunlight. However, the continuous Bluetooth-pairing has drained my phone's battery quickly, and therefore a portable Powerbank is a must.

Perfect for my needs – As a gym beginner i was looking for a device to help me fulfil my fitness goals. The Samsung Gear S2 does this and more. The seamless integration with my Galaxy S7 created a very easy and complete experience for daily use. There are very few gripes with this device other than its disappointing battery life and hard to see display under bright conditions but many consumers will find it more than efficient.  Show details

The watch you have to watch – The watch has a plethora of functions such as heart rate monitor, foot step tracker, alarm and many more functions. There are no limitations to this watch with using the free samsung app store to download new watch faces, apps or widgets the sky is the limit with this watch.  Show details

great sports and fitness tracker – this watch does it all, sms alerts and ability to reply, monitoring fitness and activity, sleep and more. silent alarm is good, easy to set up and you can also set daily reminders, ply music to your bluetooth head phones while you exercise, it even counts your laps when you are swimming. great watch.  Show details

Great smart watch – What can I say! It does everything and more. Love the seamless integration with my S8. Access to FB, SMS and email couldn't be easier. I'm also impressed with the easy customization and how it looks so much better than its Apple competitor. I'm glad I purchased the S2 over the S3 as I couldn't see that the extra expense was worth it.  Show details

My watch – As smart watches go, Samsung is right up there..the Gear S2 classic is an excellent example, everything you need in a smart watch and more...music, health, messages,phone contacts practically a miniature phone..

Super Fast Watch Interface Compared to Android OS – Super Fast Watch Interface Compared to Android OS. The whole User Interface is fast, responsive and clean. The band is comfy and comes in 2 different sizes in the box. An ac adapter with wireless charger and user manual (online tutorials are better as setup guides). Tizen OS is a fast O.S but does lack a range of apps.  Show details

Comfortable to wear – I purchased the Gear S2 because the S3 was simply too big/bulky and I preferred the look of the S2 (plus it was a lot cheaper now that it is a generation old) Have been wearing the Gear S2 for over a week now and really surprised by how comfortable the watch is to wear. The watch is a tad bulky for a woman with slim wrists and would prefer a… Read more

thinner profile but it's really just a matter of taste.

The watch was easy to setup, sync and notifications are handy to have on your wrist.

Love It! I would be lost without it! – I use my Gear 2 daily and would be lost without it. I sync it with the apps on my Samsung phone and love the ease of tracking my fitness as well as my text messages and emails. I find it fun choosing my watch faces for what needs I have for that month. A great gadget in addition to being a watch. The watch face is larger than traditional watches but I don't find that a problem. I would be lost without my Gear 2.  Show details

Nice Product, thoguht dont use it much – I bought this for the purpose of wanting it. The reasons I wanted it where because it looked good and had a great battery life. The heart monitor is something I found great and when wearing it to bed it even tracked your sleep! something I didn't expect. The only thing I didn't like about it was the fact when I lost the chagrining station I had to fork out a lot to replace it then simply buying a cord.  Show details

A fun watch to have – The gear s2 has some great features; the heart rate monitor, fitness tracking and apps. Its battery lasts a long time and the ability to change the watch face at whim is fantastic. Despite it living up to its expectations, it gets boring very quickly and most of the features go un-used. As it is superceeded by the gear s3 i would t recomend buying this.  Show details

Great device but wear on back affects charging – The device it self is great I have had mine for a while so long that I have had to replace the band and also the charging plate of the watch. Luckily these were available on ebay and it was easy to DIY but has had an affect of the speaker in the watch I won't take calls from watch any more. But with this I will still not part with it until I can get a S2 or S3 version for a good price since they have a different charging method.  Show details

Perfect gift for the sporty – Bought this as a present to my son (who is a fitness buff) and he absolutely loved the product. it has a fashionable feel/look to it, and syncs well with his samsung phone. In fact, I would say that the appearance looks lacklustre but he told me that the functions were way beyond its look! Recommended!  Show details

Back of the watch crack – I'm really désappointed buy the watch 6 months ago and the back of the watch crack and it comes too hot and burns skin hearth monitor. Send for repair no guarantees and price to repair is the same as buying a new watch. Contact Samsung no support cost $25 to have my watch back do not buy s2 buy s3 they fix that problem.  Show details

Could hubby LOVE this watch anymore? I don't think so! – Purchased as a gift for my husband, who is a tech-tragic. He needed a new watch and fell in love with the Samsung 2. 1) It actually looks and feels like a wrist watch. 2) It's so much more! The functionality is why you might buy this watch over a classic timepiece. You can read messages (and answer them with a simple yes/no function if you like)… Read more

answer calls, connect it to your other devices. It's got a fitness tracker and that gets used every day. You can easily change the display, too, from classic, to retro, to something more funky. The battery life is good and it's got a great charger, you just prop the watch up on it and the screen lights to let you know its charging. Husband charges it over night. This has been worn every day since purchase and shows no sign of wear - I thought the screen might get a bit scratched up but it looks fine.