Samsung reveals circular Gear S2 smartwatch range

Round-faced Tizen devices include a 3G e-SIM model

Samsung has announced its latest wearable tech offerings, the Samsung Gear S2 smartwatch range. Unlike previous Samsung Gear models, the new Gear S2 models feature a circular face more akin to traditional watches.

The standard Gear S2 (above) and the Gear S2 Classic (below), a more formal-looking, leather-banded variant, feature side-mounted Home and Back buttons and a rotating bezel that can be used to control apps or respond to notifications.

Both models also include a 1.2in, 360x360 resolution display, dual-core 1GHz APU with 512GB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage and a 250mAh battery that Samsung says will last two to three days.

A 3G version of the standard Gear S2 will be available, using an integrated e-SIM to enable certain tasks - such as voice calls - without the need to tether the Gear S2 to a smartphone. A larger 300mAh battery is added to this version, although it has an expected lifespan of only two days. WiFi and Bluetooth 4.1 will be supported across all models.

The Gear S2 measures 42x50x11.4mm and weighs 47g, while the smaller Gear S2 Classic measures 40x44x11.4mm and weighs 42g. The Gear S2 3G is the chunkiest of the three at 44x52x13.4mm and 51g.

The smartwatches also integrate NFC tech for use with Samsung Pay, although it is currently unknown when the firm's contactless payment service will launch in the UK.

Like the original Samsung Gear S, the Gear S2 devices will run the Tizen smartwatch OS rather than Google's Android Wear. This is not the only similarity; the processor and RAM are the same in the Gear S2 as they were in the Gear S, and the display resolution has actually been downgraded from 360x420. However, this is still on a par with the highest 390x312 option on the Apple Watch.

Prices and release dates for the Gear S2 smartwatches have not been unveiled, but Samsung will showcase the devices at an IFA 2015 event on 3 September. V3 will be on hand to report any new details.