Samsung Gear S: perfect smartwatch?

Despite other intelligent watches from Samsung, Gear S is a device working autonomously. It can – but it does not have to – work with a smartphone. It basically IS a smartphone! The watch has a SIM socket and – just like a smartphone – allows to use a voice and an Internet communication. The only difference is that we have it always on our hand… How does the usage look like?

Samsung Gear S: unpacking and first impressions video: GSMchoice.com, via YouTube

Contents

• Housing
• Equipment, display
• Interface, applications
• Summary

Samsung Gear S arrives to the buyer in a small box which contains – besides the watch – a charger, a docking station for charging, and a surprisingly big manual, full of illustrations.

At this moment I must commend Samsung for a solid preparation of this – one might think – trivial element. However, I do not like the way of charging the device.

In its smartwatches Samsung constantly uses docking stations for charging. This trifle is in a form of a plastic clamp for the watch’s housing. It connects with the watch by metal connectors and only to it we can attach a charger with a microUSB cable in order to charge the watch. It is nice that the housing is not disfigured by a microUSB socket, but what if this docking station will be damaged or simply lost? This discomfort is partially compensated by a fact that in this docking station there is additional battery, which in an emergency situation can load the other one in the watch. So we have a small, handy powerbank, which is charged with the watch simultaneously – so we will never forget about charging it. The energy accumulated in the clamp will be enough to ensure the watch’s work for another few hours. A phone in a watch that I do not have to charge daily? I am buying it!

Besides the troublesome charging, the watch astonished me. It is big, typically male. Despite the fact that the housing and the strap are made mostly from plastic, the watch is elegant. The metal bezel surrounding the bent 2-inch SuperAMOLED with 360x480 pixels only makes it looks smarter.

The adjustable buckle is made from metal as well. Beside a dark, arched glass, the front is decorated with a metal, knurled single button, with a light and UV sensors placed on its sides. The speaker and the microphone are placed at the sides of the housing.

The elegance of Gear S can be underlined by fancy face showed on the display – but we will get back to this later. Now let us look at the back of the housing. We will find there a heart-rate monitor, connectors for charging and communicating with PC, but also… a SIM card slot!

Based on Tizen system Samsung Gear S has a 3G module and can work completely autonomously. This will allow for a voice communication and data exchange, but it can work with a smartphone as well.

Unfortunately, the description on the package says that it has to be one of Samsung’s phones. And, unfortunately, at least for now we need to have one: without it, the watch "will not start". Gear S must be connected with a Gear Manager app, thanks to which we will download apps that we find interesting.

Then – theoretically – we can put down Samsung’s smartphone and get back to, for example iPhone. We will lose one of the most significant advantages of this smartwatch – that is using the phone when it comes to making calls or receiving notifications. On the other hand – why do we need a smartphone, when most of its functions can be done by Gear S?

The device – even though small – is equipped almost the same as a smartphone. It has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modules, as well as a GPS and Glonass. It has several sensors as well: a heart-rate monitor, a UV radiation sensor, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a light sensor and a barometer. All this is packed in a housing with an IP67 certificate. Everything is charged by a 300 mAh battery. Contrary to my concerns, it turned out that it is enough for an all-day usage of the capabilities of this amazing gadget. If we use Gear S reasonably (that is we will not be playing with it every once and a while) the battery will last even for two days. Unfortunately, I could not help myself and I have been using the device every time that I could… I just could not help myself not to watch at the bent display with sweet and intensive colours all the time.

Samsung’s watch not only looks great – but it is a pleasure to wear it. It is light. The bent housing fits to the shape of the wrist perfectly, the strap – even though made of plastic – does not pinch, just like the buckle. Gear S looks good on hand and it will fit for an elegant suit as well as for sweatpants. The strap can easily be taken off and replaced by other, thanks to which we can adjust the style to our clothes. I received a black one, so the only thing that I could change is the face. And this – thanks to the brightness and the sharpness of the display’s image – looks magically, no matter if we choose an elegant, old-fashioned or a technological rawness.

The display works perfectly. Besides a typical for SuperAMOLED deep black it features a high intensity of colours. It bothers me a bit as far as smartphones are concerned, but in a watch – it raises only positive feelings, just like a precise work of the touch panel. The bent surface only makes swiping text’s pages very comfortable.

The interface of the watch (working on the Tizen platform) is simple and clear, just like navigating it. It is based on four basic gestures. Swiping the display down gives us access to the settings’ bar, in which we can regulate the brightness and the loudness of voice. We can see there battery’s and connectivity modules’ statuses. This display can be shown buy a double-tap on the desktop.

By swiping up we will enter apps’ menu. Pushing the desktop to the left will lead us to widgets’ desktop, and moving in the opposite direction will show notifications. Have I mentioned about widgets? Yes, there is no mistake; in Gear S we can use them almost identically as in smartphones. We have an S-Health widget, a speed dial, weather, news or calendar. There is a lot of it…

There is an equal amount of apps that can expand Gear S functionality. For example Opera Mini, which allows browsing the Internet, or a built-in e-mail client, which allows not only reading, but writing a message as well. The rest – based on our needs, can be installed from the dedicated Gear store. Unfortunately, in order to do so, we must get back to the Gera Manager app on Samsung’s smartphone. This is the exact same app that I described in the review of Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo…

So there are no surprises – everything is simple and clear. Apps are simple, but thanks to that the watch works quickly and stable. We even have something that resembles smartphone’s multitasking. By holding down two fingers on the display we will enter to the menu of recently used apps – from which we can switch between them, as well as close them in order to save memory.

This is not the end of Gear S capabilities. I have mentioned that is has (hidden under the metal flip) a nanoSIM socket. So it can work as a phone. It allows using voice calls, in which it works really well. The dialler’s panel is identical as in the smartphone – only smaller. Choosing numbers (and texting) does not make any problems, while the sound’s quality is at least good. If we need discretion – we can use a Bluetooth’s earphone.

What is more, we have the possibility to redirect calls from our smartphone to the watch – for which we need data transfer active in both devices. It is worth noting, that transmitting data does not use Bluetooth that is why we can be really far away from the smartphone – and still have the possibility to make a call from it. From the point of view of the receiver we are still calling and texting from the number on the smartphone – even if it is located a few kilometres from us!

Naturally, we can use only the GSM module in the watch, as well as using Gear S without the SIM card, just like a "normal" smartwatch. The thing is we need to keep our Samsung’s smartphone close – approximately around 5-6 meters, no further. It is obvious that in the last case we will intensively save the battery – it only uses the Bluetooth, while the rest of the connectivity (GSM or GPS) will be provided by the phone. It is a pity that Gear S cannot be used as a mobile hot-spot for the phone… maybe after an update…?

A few more words about apps. Besides S-Health known from Samsung, we can find in watch’s menu a second fitness app – Nike+ Running, which requires a registration from the level of the smartphone. Another brilliant app in Gear S has similar requirements: HERE maps. Watch’s navigation – just like the "adult", smartphone version, has the possibility to work offline, without any access to the network. You just need to download proper maps to device’s memory.

The app is fully-functional – besides showing the map, we have a full navigation and each manoeuvre is signalled by a vibration, thanks to which we do not have to constantly check the display. The GPS is module is surprisingly precise and fast… There is also a normal calendar, an alarm clock, a calculator and the possibility to locate the smartphone, should it be misplaced somewhere. If you are terrified by a low number of apps in the store – please be informed that there are more and more of them every day. In the time that I have been using the watch, several new appeared. I regret that I did not remember their exact amount – I could give you some solid numbers.

Can Gear S replace our smartphone? In many cases – yes! In my opinion the biggest disadvantage of the device is – still – the necessity to work with the smartphone, even on a lowest level, but still. Without a smartphone not only we cannot run the new Gear S, but we cannot install new apps or we will not be able to save the energy using the GPS in the phone as well. I am still upset by the necessity to use the docking station for charging. The fact that it is an additional battery compensates the necessity to wear it all the time. Compensates only a little, but still.

My other regret is that Gear S lacks the camera – but you cannot have everything. The disadvantages I have mentioned do not ruin my delight with the device. Had they be eliminated, I would have called Gear S a perfect smartwatch. But now – it is almost ideal. It looks good, it has large capabilities, a great display and correctly working – though small – keyboards. I am pleased with the battery’s lifespan – I do not need miracles, here it is simply OK.

The device is not the cheapest one, it costs almost as much as a nice smartphone (around 350 euros) – but still, I will use the #Iwantthis! hashtag again, and if manufacturer’s representatives (which is my greatest fear) will demand to return the device – I will still run to the shop. Even if I will be forced to "make peace" with Samsung’s phones… Gear S is worth it.

Samsung Gear S: a perfect smartwatch? video: GSMchoice.com, via YouTube