Latest Samsung Gear S2 Update Adds New Watch Face, Contacts App & More

A new Samsung Gear S2 update is currently rolling out. The major software update brings in major improvements and interface design changes to the 2015 smartwatch from the South Korean tech giant.

According to GSM Arena, the 61.1 MB heavy Samsung Gear S2 update is made available for the Classic and the standard variants. The Gear S2 Classic should bear the firmware with build number R732XXU2DPFB upon installing the update. Meanwhile, the standard model of the Samsung smartwatch gets the firmware with build number 3730XXU2DPFB.

Techno Buffalo noted that the update is “one of the biggest upgrades the lineup has received since making its debut back in October.” The new Samsung Gear S2 firmware “adds automatic sleep tracking and the ability to share sleep data to social networks, new voice commands for using the Timer and Messages apps,” according to the post.

One of the major changes to expect from the firmware is the addition of a new watch face called My Photo. This lets the users pick a custom image for the background. “You can add up to 10 images, which the watch will cycle through every time you wake up the display,” Sam Mobile explained through its post providing an exclusive update preview for the Gear S2.

Upon receiving the update, Gear S2 owners no longer need to pick up the paired smartphone to install recommended apps on the Samsung watch, Sam Mobile also reported. The firmware update also makes it possible for users to get GMT sunrise and sunset information in the World Clock from the Gear S2. Further discussing the changes made to World Clock application, Sam Mobile’s post read:

“Over in the world clock app for the Gear S2, Samsung has switched to a flatter design. The clock face now turns white during the day and goes dark at nighttime. “

Information on UV index should also appear in the Weather app powered by Accuweather. It should also mark the days with events in the Schedule widget. A Contacts app and widget should be added as well upon installing the update to Samsung’s 2015 wearable.

To download the firmware, the Gear Manager app for Android is required. Make sure to have the latest version installed for a smooth and hassle-free update process.

Samsung Gear S2 hit the U.S. market in October 2015. According to Android Pit, the standard model of the Samsung smart watch comes with a $299 price tag, while the Classic version is available for $349. U.S. network carriers such as Verizon, T-Mobile, US Cellular and AT&T offer the Tizen-powered wearable device for a price that starts at $360.

The review made by Kris Carlon of Android Pit seven months ago cited that one of the huge issues of the Gear S2 is its connection stability.

“Both Gear S2 watches in the AndroidPIT office repeatedly dropped the connection to the paired phone (neither were Galaxy devices though). Mine wouldn’t reconnect without a factory reset whereas the other would reconnect itself eventually.”

Except for the connection issues, “Samsung has produced a technically outstanding watch,” Carlon shared. “It is stable, responsive and has the best wearable interface I’ve come across. The combination of two buttons and a rotating bezel to control it works marvelously.”

https://youtu.be/k_NMGHlCAX8

The review also noted that the “Gear S2 feels surprisingly accomplished.” Good points cited for the device are its intuitive surface, the IP68 dust and waterproof certification and its excellent display. The Samsung smart watch is “extremely well-made.”

Samsung Gear S2 carries specs such as a dual-core 1 GHz CPU paired with 512 MB RAM and 4G native storage. It “features 24-hour activity recording, auto-recognition of activity type, ‘inactivity alerts’ for when you’re being lazy, automatic heart-rate tracking that increases in frequency during exercise, and watch faces that change to reflect how active or inactive you’ve been,” Android Pit shared.

The Inquisitr will continue to keep you in the loop for the latest firmware updates released for the Samsung Gear S2.

[Photo by David Becker/Getty Images]