Europeans who’ve been dying to get their hands on a Galaxy Note5 (which has yet to launch on the continent; only the Galaxy S6 edge+ is available) now have more bad news: the Gear S2 3G will not arrive in the UK or Europe next month. Bluetooth models could be available in Europe on October 25th.
According to what we know about the Gear S2, Canada and the United States are poised to see Samsung’s latest smartwatch arrive on October 2nd. Best Buy Canada has already confirmed its arrival, with $349 (original) and $399 (Classic) Bluetooth model prices being listed on the retailer’s website. As for the United States, AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile have been confirmed by a Samsung Electronics America (SEA) training video about the three top US carriers getting the new wearable. Sprint has yet to confirm it, with some concerned that the carrier may not carry it this time.
Now, Samsung UK Mobile VP Conor Pierce says that only Korea and the United States will receive the cellular-connected Gear S2 (3G model) next month, but this doesn’t rule out Bluetooth models for other countries. Samsung has yet to releasing price and availability details worldwide, but the company has promised to do so by next week. UK residents could be looking at a £322 price tag, which matches consumer price expectations for a smartwatch.
The Gear S2 is Samsung’s sixth smartwatch, but trades in the square shape (Galaxy Gear, Gear 2, Gear 2 Neo, Gear Live) and curved display (Gear S) of earlier models for a circular shape and Rotary UI. Samsung’s most appealing new feature of the Gear S2 is its rotating bezel by which users can navigate the new UI. The new smartwatch comes with a 1.2-inch, Super AMOLED display with 360 x 360p screen resolution, a 1Ghz, dual-core processor, 4GB of storage, and IP68 water and dust resistance. The Gear S2 3G model will feature an e-SIM that allows users to make phone calls and in-built wireless charging to stay juiced up on the go. As for the non-3G models, Samsung looks to offer a “Sci-Fi” model and a Classic model with a genuine leather strap. The Gear S2 will run Samsung's homegrown Tizen OS, but is compatible with Android smartphones running 4.4 KitKat or higher.
