Following their debut at the end of August, Samsung today officially announced the launch date and prices of the Gear S2 and Gear S2 Classic, its first round smartwatches.
Both the Gear S2 and Gear S2 Classic will launch in the US this Friday, October 2. The Gear S2 will be priced at $299.99, while the Gear S2 Classic will be $349.99. You’ll be able to buy Samsung’s round smartwatches from Samsung.com as well as Amazon, Best Buy, and Macy’s.
The Gear S2 and Gear S2 Classic have similar spec lists, including round 1.2-inch 360x360 Super AMOLED displays, 1GHz dual-core processors, 4GB of storage, and 512MB of RAM. Both watches are also IP68 rated for dust and water resistance. As for the differences between the two, the Gear S2 has a 250mAh battery that’s slightly smaller than the Gear S2 Classic’s 300mAh battery, and the Gear S2 Classic has a ridged case.
Perhaps the main feature of the Gear S2 and Gear S2 Classic are their rotating bezels that can be used to navigate throughout the Tizen OS. Yes, the Gear S2 watches run Tizen OS, but Samsung has said that they’re compatible with Android phones (including non-Galaxy devices) and that iOS support may be added in the future.
At $299.99, the Gear S2 is priced comparably to the new Moto 360 and its a bit less than the Huawei Watch and LG Watch Urbane. That price seems pretty reasonable for Samsung’s new smartwatch, and while we’ll have to wait to get one on-wrist before making any judgments, the Gear S2 and Gear S2 Classic do have attractive designs, especially for folks that want a smartwatch that looks like an analog watch.
For a first look at the Gear S2 and Gear S2 Classic, check out our video above. And if you’re interested in seeing how the Gear S2 compares to the Apple Watch, you can find that video right here.
