Samsung Gear S2 smartwatch with circular watchface, Tizen OS unveiled

According to IDC, Apple was the No 2 maker of wearable devices in the April-June quarter, with a 20 percent worldwide market share, behind the Fitbit and its fitness trackers at 24 percent. Samsung was fifth with 3.3 percent.

Samsung Gear S2 has a 1.2-inch, circular Super AMOLED, 360×360 display.

So far, outside app developers have focused their efforts instead on the Apple Watch and Android Wear watches. Samsung’s watches use their own operating system, Tizen, which means extra work adapting apps for them.

Samsung promised a variety of apps designed for the new watch’s circular face, but it didn’t provide details. The company said demos of the new apps will come Thursday at the IFA tech show in Berlin.

The Korean electronics company didn’t announce a price or release date Monday for the S2.

More details:

CIRCULAR FACE: The Gear S2 is the first Samsung smartwatch with a circular design, and the company says the watch’s frame will rotate to help users access apps and notifications. It’s not a new shape for smartwatches — Motorola and LG make circular frames, too.

Samsung Gear S2 will come in two styles: Classic and Modern.

STYLE: The Gear  S2 will come in two styles — classic and modern — with various colors and bands.

PHONE REQUIREMENT: Apple Watch requires an iPhone, and the Gear  S2 will likely require an Android device from Samsung. Some models will have 3G cellular capabilities that let them do more without the phone nearby. The 3G models will likely cost more and won’t include a service plan, which is typically $5 to $10 a month in the US when added to a phone plan.

BATTERY LIFE: The  Gear  S2 promises two to three days of battery life, compared with Apple Watch’s 18 hours.

Samsung Gear S2 Watch specs

Display: 1.2-inch, Circular Super AMOLED, 360×360, 302ppi
Processor: Dual core 1.0 GHz
OS: Tizen based wearable platform
Memory/RAM: 4GB Internal Memory / RAM: 512MB
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, NFC
Sensors: Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Heart Rate, Ambient Light, Barometer
Battery: Wireless Charging 250mAh Li-ion, (2-3days)
Other features: IP68 Certified Dust and Water Resistant
Dimensions
Gear S2: 42.3×49.8×11.4mm (47g)
Gear S2 classic: 39.9×43.6×11.4mm (42g)