Gadgetory

technically it's a SmartWatch but that's really only scratching the surface the Samsung gear s is physically more bracelet than wristband and functionally more smartphone than accessory does it deserve a spot on your wrist in the new year i'm michael fisher with pocket now let's find out the gear s is larger than every other SmartWatch we've tested this year but it's also surprisingly lightweight there's nothing really special about the band or clasp but each does its job the metal snaps into place with a reassuring click and the matte black rubber of our sprint review device is soft and comfortable different colors and a bangle design are also available in daily use it's definitely present you're not going to forget it's on your wrist especially when typing but it still slides beneath the cuff with relative ease the real centerpiece of the hardware is the removable water-resistant core module and the main focus there is the 2 inch Super AMOLED display we've often said curved displays would be most at home on wearables and this screen proves the point reducing the apparent footprint of the gear s while also bringing just the right amount of futuristic flavor the display is big and vibrant and adjusts automatically based on ambient light if you can get around its super reflective cover glass it's plenty readable in most lighting conditions the single key beneath the display functions as both home and power standby a very clever implementation that we'd like to see on more devices pressing the button fires up the Tizen based operating system which runs smoothly enough on the Qualcomm processor as long as you don't mind a pretty sluggish animation frame rate this being a gear device interaction is by bezel based gestures swipe down from the top for system settings up from the bottom for the app tray swipe in from the left for notifications and in from the right to access different home screens inside apps you can go back one step with a swipe down from the top if it seems a little elaborate while it is remember what I said about this being more smartphone than SmartWatch there's no camera here but otherwise almost anything you can think of doing on a handheld device you can - in miniaturized form on the gear s from simple calculators and clocks to full-on web browsing if it's not built right in you can probably find it in the third-party marketplace which isn't quite as robust as other ecosystems but there's still plenty of cool stuff here to keep your wrist buzzing unfortunately all the complexity makes for a pretty cumbersome timepiece if you set a countdown timer while you're cooking say don't make the mistake of clicking home to check the time if you do you'll be three or four swipes away from the timer when you want to check how much time is left this is one of several things that simpler competitors do better the inclusion of a cellular radio means the gear s can do more than just forward notifications from your smartphone it's got its own sim ID and its own phone number and calls automatically forward to the watch if you leave your phone at home on purpose or otherwise this is probably where the gear s shines the most brightly the speaker is just loud enough to be heard over even moderate background noise and the noise cancellation on the outbound side is great too one caller said she could hear us loud and clear even when we were shouting over the roar of a nearby motorboat engine we were also pleasantly surprised by Sprint's Network performance in the boonies and the city alike whether we were browsing headlines or navigating to the nearest gas station the network had our back even if it kept us waiting a few times get tired of 3G data speeds and there's a Wi-Fi radio here too because of course there is and yes you can also text from the gear but s voice dictation isn't great and the tiny keyboard is frustrating even for the smallest fingers if anything the gear S will have you making and taking more phone calls because of how well it handles voice and if you're not into the Dick Tracy thing don't worry you can use a Bluetooth headset probably the most apt standalone use is for fitness scenarios where the last thing you want is to be toting a smartphone around the gear s comes packing a heartrate scanner bundled Nike running Plus app and GPS to track your progress and you can also transfer music tracks to the watch using the Samsung gear app sit still for too long and s-health will give you a kick in the pants remind you to get up and move around a bit this feature can be turned off if you find it more annoying than inspiring but I like it it all adds up to a sense of Independence notably absent from most other smartwatches reading news articles or browsing the web on your wrist isn't comfortable really but it's nice in a pinch if you're taking a break during a workout or on a quick grocery run when you've accidentally left your phone at home the only downside is battery life while the watch will easily last two even three days when paired to a smart phone that shrinks to just about 24 hours in standalone mode in our experience all that edit capability will exact added cost in the form of a monthly bill from Sprint or whichever carrier you choose and while there are certainly affordable plans out there paying a separate monthly fee for a watch on top of the equipment cost definitely won't be for everyone the question is does it bring enough utility to justify the price now if you're someone who just wants a simple accessory executed well then the answer will be no the gear s is not for you it's pricey and it's complex and the software sometimes gets in its own way get a pebble or an Android wear watch instead and this is also true if your smartphone was built by anyone except Samsung since the gear S will only work with a Samsung device but if you do carry a semi on the regular and you're the kind of gadget geek who loves raw capability irrespective of elegance the gear s is bound to be a very enticing option Samsung's kitchen sink mentality has made it the most powerful wearable we've ever reviewed pair it with a Galaxy Note 4 and you've got one of the most feature Laden mobile combos out there just make sure you can use all of those features before you buy if not there are certainly cheaper more refined options out there for you with even more coming in the new year for more wearable coverage folks be sure to check our full reviews on Android wear pebble and other manufacturers here on YouTube and at pocket now till next time this has been michael fisher with pocket now captain to phones on twitter reminding you that just a couple decades ago devices like this were pure fiction so stop for a moment and enjoy our futurist modern world we'll see you next time