Video: The Verge Showcases Samsung's Gear S2

While Unbox Therapy offered up a more detailed look at the nuances of Samsung’s Gear S2 UI, The Verge shows off the hardware of the two different models with a bit more clarity:

Interestingly, what previously appeared from screenshots and leaks to be a capacitive bezel turns out to be a mechanical ring that actually rotates, which I didn’t expect. On the S2 “sport” version, this rotation is difficult to see in video, as the bezel is quite smooth and uniform, but the movement is much clearer on the knurled — and slightly smaller-screened — S2 Classic (which, for my money and for what it’s worth, is the nicer variant). The regular version is available in black and white colorways, but it appears that the Classic only comes in a single dark finish.

There’s still no mention of the third Gear mystery watch with LTE, but from the look of the smartwatches the Korean giant revealed today, it seems they’ve got a reasonably solid product to peddle in tandem with their Tizen phones. However, the Gear S2 is allegedly compatible with the newer versions of Android Wear, albeit there’s no indication yet of exactly how deep or capable that integration will be. Dont expect much, though. Samsung is clearly trying to build a walled garden of its own lately, and I think that’s a sound business decision.

Right now, the Gear S2 represents Apple’s first actual competitor.