Samsung unveils its circular smartwatch with more battery life than the Apple Watch, but how many apps will be available for it is unknown.
Samsung’s newest, the Gear S2, faces competition not just from Apple but also from a variety of manufacturers using Google’s Android Wear software. The limited selection of apps is one of the main challenges facing Samsung’s smartwatches. 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. 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. The company said demos of the new apps will come Thursday at the IFA tech show in Berlin.
Specifications:
CIRCULAR FACE: The 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 will come in two styles—classic and modern—with various colors and bands.
BATTERY LIFE: The S2 promises two to three days of battery life, compared with Apple Watch’s 18 hours.
PHONE REQUIREMENT: Apple Watch requires an iPhone, and the 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…..
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