Samsung Gear S2 3G Is Better Than The Apple Watch

The first review of the Samsung Gear S2 Smartwatch from Inquisitr two months back certainly was not positive.

“Even though S-Voice represents the downfall of the Gear S2, it isn’t its only problem. If you are using your Gear S2 as an exercise tracker, don’t expect to be able to view the total calories you have burned per day.”

The review also criticized the lack of working driving directions and lack of apps. However, two recent updates have fixed a lot of the problems. The 3G version of the Gear S2, now available on T-Mobile and AT&T, proves that a smartwatch can work separately from the smartphone it is associated with.

Your carrier will give you a SIM card with a new phone number. If you are away from your smartphone, the Gear S2 can operate on its own or take on the number of the smartphone via a remote connection. You will get all instant messages, voice messages, emails, and even phone calls within seconds. You can also use the watch as a completely separate phone with its own number as well.

Unfortunately, the Apple Watch depends 100 percent on the iPhone that it is connected to. It’s quite dependable with your iPhone, but the Watch becomes useless when you go too far away from the iPhone and lose the Bluetooth connection. There are strong rumors going around that the next Apple Watch will work like the Gear S2 3G and be able to work as its own device.

Even though the Gear S2 software has been updated, the Apple Watch still has better voice recognition. The best thing one can say about the Apple Watch is that you can answer any text or email with your voice and not have to worry about Siri translating your voice to text incorrectly; it works 99.9 percent of the time. S-Voice works about 90 percent of the time. That’s still a low number for most people who want to depend on their voice, but it’s getting better.

There is one main problem for those who want to use their Gear S2 3G primarily as a phone — battery life. Simply said, it is pretty bad. On a 3G connection, expect to get — at most — five hours of minimal use and that is only if you are in an area with a good signal. If your watch is struggling to get a 3G signal, the battery life will be eaten up like a vacuum. However, if you use the Gear S2 on Auto mode, it will only connect to the 3G network when necessary. If you carry your phone around most of the time, you will easily get a full day’s use with the Gear S2 and — possibly — another half day. It comes with a magnetic charger to recharge your watch.

Both the Gear S2 and the Apple Watch have a premium feel that will satisfy buyers. However, even the Gear S2, with its rotating bezel, wins in the design and “cool factor” categories. The Apple Watch feels like a great beta product, but the Gear S2, even though more updates are needed, just feels like a great product without the “beta” thrown in. Samsung has a winner with the Gear S2 3G, and it’s up to their marketing department to show consumers why it is a better purchase than the Apple Watch.

[Photo via Daryl Deino]