Samsung Gear S2 makes Kiwi debut; Stolen Girlfriends Club options coming

The Samsung Gear S2 smartwatch, which has just launched in New Zealand, is about to get super styley, with Samsung working with local partners including Kiwi fashion label Stolen Girlfriends Club to offer a range of watch faces and watch bands.

Stefan Lecchi, Samsung New Zealand head of commercial, says the Samsung Gear S2 and S2 classic are both available now from national retailers as well as Samsung Kiosks and Samsung's online store.

He dubs the Gear S2 'the most intuitive smart watch on the market'.

"The Gear S2 has a unique rotating bezel, which ensures users will have a quicker, more precise method to comfortably access notifications and applications," Lecchi says.

The company says the Gear S2 'comes in a versatile, circular design with an intuitive, custom UX and advanced features that enable users to enhance, personalise and bring more fun to their mobile experience'.

The Gear S2 classic is designed for users who prefer a more timeless watch design, while the S2 is 'ideal for those who are on-the-go and have an admiration for minimal and modern design'.

The 11.4mm thin Gear S2 includes a 1.2-inch circular screen with 360x360 resolution (302ppi), with Tizen OS and an optimised 1GHz dual core processor. Battery life is two to three days.

The device receives calendar, email and news notifications and enables users to send texts from their wrist via a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connection with a paired smartphone.

Samsung says new fitness functions include a 24-hour activity log allowing users to view daily activity progress and patterns at a glance, along with reminder updates to motivate users to stay on track with fitness goals.

A variety of apps optimised for the Gear S2's circular interface are available at launch.

The Gear S2 retails for RRP$549, while the classic has an RRP of $649.

Interchangeable bands will be available at selected stores or via Samsung New Zealand's site.