The Gear S2 is Samsung’s latest smartwatch, released just a year ago. Since then, many companies have released similar looking watches and/or models, making it an increasingly hard thing to determine which smartwatch is the best choice for you.
This review will not talk about those watches, however. Instead, it will focus on what the Gear S2 does well and how you can get the most out of it. If you are looking to buy one, read on!
The Gear S2 does two things: It tracks motion and notifications. Thus, when we say “notifications” or “notification features”, we are talking about the new notification feature on the Gear S2. This lets you turn alerts on or off completely remove them completely via voice command.
This review will not talk about those notifications, however. Instead, it will focus on what the device does well and how you can get the most out of it.
Contents:
Can I wear my smart watch in the shower?
Not only is the S2 not water resistant, it is actually recommended not to shower or wash your smart watch in the shower due to possible exposure to water damage.
This is due to two major companies placing small waterproof chips in the S2. These are found on the rear surface of the watch and are called a waterproof chip.
When a wearer takes a shower or washes their smart watch in the shower, the water travels through the chip and into the phone or computer that is connected to it. The rest of the watch gets wet, but that’s it!
This is important to note as water damage can occur when cleaning devices such as tanks for showers or washing machines have been used with wet smart watches.
However, since this has been noted as a potential issue, new devices have been made that do not have this issue.called non-waterproof chips.
Can I swim with my smart watch?
The only time you can swim with your smart watch is if you are wearing a standard-size swimming watch. Most standard-size watches have a North American or European size Large or bigger, respectively.
Those are the ones that connect to a swimming watch device via Bluetooth. Most modern devices will work, but you will need to test it on a few water surfaces before you use it outside of water.
Of course, if you are already very organized in your wearables, then having the band and device connected to each other only makes sense!
The main reason not to wear your smart watch while underwater is battery life. When your smartwatch has to track heart rate and/or activity data, it must be powered on while it is buried under water.
How deep can it go?
The answer to how deep the Gear S2 can go is that it does not know. As we mentioned before, the Samsung Gear Live 2s are water resistant up to 40 feet, so you can expect this watch to handle some wet stuff.
However, there is no guarantee that the Gear S2 will still be waterproof after that. There have been a few reports of water getting inside the watch and causing damage. If you would like to test this out, you should buy a high quality case to cover the watch as water can easily pass through thin cases.
As we mentioned before, cases do have a effect on how deep watches can go.
What about salt water?
Even though the Gear S2 is water resistant, you do not need to take it swimming. The device has a built-in swimming mode that will automatically turn on if you go underwater for any length of time.
While in swimming mode, the Gear S2 will display an underwater icon to indicate when it is in water. This is great for fun swims or if you need to check up on your child while they are swimming.
The problem arises when the child decides to wear their swimsuit outside the device. The cover can be flappy and would require regular replacement.
Does it protect against dust?
The S2 does not protect against water or water damage. If you put it in a rain jacket or puffer coat, it would likely get wet.
As mentioned earlier, the Gear S2 is splashproof. However, if you were to go swimming with it, that would need to be done safely. You can buy special goggles and a underwaterв“suit“ style case to do this!
Just like the Apple Watch, the Gear S2 can be recharged via a collar around your neck. The same goes for the display as well. Since it uses removable batteries, there is no risk of run-down when using the Apple Watch.
The biggest difference between the Apple Watch and Gear devices is that the former requires a charging unit while the latter does not.
How to keep your smart watch safe from water
When water is present, be sure to follow these tips to prevent your watch from being wet.
When you are wearing a smartwatch, you are also exposing yourself to water occasionally. If you are not careful about avoiding water and Splash & Game related situations, you can find yourself with aWaterlogged watch or Splash & Game materials on your wrist.
To prevent your watch from being wet, follow these steps:• Make sure the band is dry before putting it on.
Take off your smart watch before you get into any water source
When you take your smart watch off, it reduces the risk of losing data or function majesty the watch. It also prevents any water from getting inside the watch which would damage it.
A water resistant watch has some limited functionality if you take it off. The main function is to be able to wear it while exercising or while doing some household tasks like washing dishes or taking out the trash.
Since this is a workwatch, you can put earphones on it so you can listen to music while performing tasks like washing dishes or taking out the trash. You can even use this as a cell phone case because there is no battery on it so you would have to keep a charged smart watch handy when in use.
Make sure the seal is tight on your smart watch
Your device must be water resistant to the maximum depth of 50 meters or 164 feet. Most devices are at least water resistant to 30 meters or 100 feet.
To be fully water resistant you have to use water When swimming, surfing, kayaking, etc.. This means if you were just about to go for a bike ride or randonneurene, you would need to make sure you were in the water for at least an hour before trying to put your smart watch on.
This is important, because if it was not able to withstand a quick wash, then it would not work when wet. You would have to manually dry it off before wearing it!
However, if the smart watch was dust and smudges-free, then it could still work when wet.