Samsung Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo: watches on steroids

We must start the adventure with Gear watches by downloading Gear Manager app from Samsung’s app store. It will allow us to connect a watch with a phone (or a tablet) and configure it.

From the app’s level we can choose the style of the watch – by changing a wallpaper and the dial’s version that we can see on the main desktop. There are many different styles of digital or analogue watches available.

By using Gear Manager we can choose which apps will show notifications on the watch and download and install those that will autonomously work in it as well. In the Gear app store we can find a wide variety of programs for the watch as well – there are even simple games.

Navigating through watch’s menu is easy: the usage is entrusted to a smoothly working touch panel and a single button on the housing. We can move through watch’s menu with a few gestures – for example, swiping the display from the right to the left will take us through apps’ icons, while an opened program can be closed by swiping a finger from the top to the bottom of the display. A double-tap with two fingers will move us to status’ menu, where we can check the battery’s level, the Bluetooth connection, the volume level and the brightness.

The last two parameters can of course be changed in this place. Most icons are big enough to ensure a comfortable usage even for a person with thick fingers, but there are some incredibly small that require a precise targeting as well. Too small icons can be found on the dialler’s display or in the camera’s menu. Generally – using the watch is comfortable and intuitive.

Both watches have built-in batteries with a capacity of 300 mAh, which – according to the manufacturer – will allow for 2 to 6 days of work. Unfortunately, charging the battery can only be done by a special adapter, which we receive along with the charger. The adapter has a microUSB socket, but it is connected with the watch by metal connectors on the back of the housing. It is a pity that despite a large size of both watches the charging socket has not been placed directly in their housings. If the adapter will be lost or damaged, the watch will be useless – we will not be able to charge it. The adapter is yet another item that has to be taken on a trip…