Swiping to the right will take you to the messages center, where you can check on notifications from various apps. Swiping up brings up the app drawer, while swiping to the left brings up widgets-you're limited to a total of five. The Gear S has a Home button embedded on the front you press it to go back to the beginning of Samsung's Tizen menu structure.
#Tizen store gear s android#
But it's still not an Android device, and this will ultimately limit app support. In all, the Gear S looks like a very useful device on paper. There's even a built-in UV sensor to help ensure the sun doesn't fry you to a crisp. And, of course, there's a smartwatch version of S Health to help you stay in shape. In addition to 3G support for data and phone calls, the Gear S can send you notifications from all your various social networks.
If you're fully emotionally invested in the Samsung device ecosystem, you might like everything that the watch's Tizen OS underpinnings have to offer. See that gray part that sticks out? The one above the security tag? That's the watch band. That said, because of its gigantic size, I couldn’t see the top third of the display without rotating the watch toward me. I also really liked the curvature of the screen, as it helped the Gear S to fit comfortably (albeit loosely) around my wrist. I didn't get a chance to check display legibility outside, so look for details on that in our final review. I'm not typically a fan of Super AMOLED, but it works better for smartwatches (where we expect brightness in direct sunlight) than smartphones (where such saturated colors can look almost ostentatious). Regardless, pixel for pixel, the 2-inch screen looks really nice. That's two inches of hardcore Super AMOLED for you. Some day, technology will catch up to Samsung's aspirations. If you're going to make a watch display this big, please make it edge-to-edge. Also, the black bezel consumes a significant portion of the overall display. During my demo time, even some of the men around me were commenting on the watch’s large size, so know that my criticisms aren't just about me and my tiny(ish) wrists. I’d like to quickly reiterate that the display on this particular device is too big for my wrist-for any wrist, really.
#Tizen store gear s skin#
The Swarovski version of the Gear S features a different clasp than the regular device, and is much more skin friendly. But, of course, those tiny gems add to the weight of the watch, which makes the Gear S even heavier than it already is. I actually preferred the Swarovski watch band that Samsung was showing off, if only for its bling factor and more comfortable clasp. And Samsung's clasp caught on to my skin and arm hair a few times. In fact, it actually felt a lot like the $1 watch I took to Berlin. Samsung's default watchband feels plasticky and cheap. You still don't believe me about how big it is? Check it out next to my dollar-store watch. I can’t even imagine typing at my desk with this thing on my wrist.
I can't imagine actually using it day to day, at work, at home, while running or doing errands. Even worse, this is a seriously heavy wrist watch-my arm began aching after repeated use.
It’s like one of those fashion cuffs you may have seen the ladies sporting lately, except that it’s not fashionable. But, no! That was just me with my head in the clouds. When I saw the Gear Live at Google I/O a few months ago, I was optimistic that Samsung was dialing down its obsession with gargantuan gadget designs. Not only will it be prohibitively large for many would-be consumers, it also precludes any possibility for private phone calls.ĭo people really want to put all their conversations on speakerphone when walking down the street? A few hours later, I'm still struggling to determine who exactly this watch is suited for. I went hands on with the Gear S at the IFA conference in Berlin during Samsung’s official launch event. And it's all contained within a bulky, 1.57-by-2.3-by-0.49-inch frame. It straps to your wrist, and comes with nearly all the accouterments of a regular smartphone-most notably, the ability to make phone calls independently. Samsung's newest wearable, the Gear S, is a completely self-contained smartwatch-smartphone hybrid. But this isn't stopping Samsung, the company that's fearless in trying to establish markets that don't yet exist. BERLIN-It was cool when Dick Tracy lifted his watch to make phone calls from his wrist, but in real life this technology remains riddled with pitfalls.