Samsung Gear S2 update brings apps, watch faces and emojis

Who said Samsung would abandon its latest smartwatch?
10326-original
Wareable is reader-powered. If you click through using links on the site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more

They might not be the Gear S2 apps we were waiting for but with the new update, which is rolling out this week, Samsung's latest smartwatch is getting some new apps, watch faces and features.

The apps in question are World Clock, ESPN and News Briefing (the Flipboard one) and the watch faces are named Mendini - so presumably designed by the same Alessandro Mendini who created the first third party Gear S2 straps.

Read this: The best Samsung Gear S2 apps (so far)

Also handy is a new search function within Contacts on the watch itself, a screen time out setting, entering emojis within the keyboard, an unread notification indicator (which would stress us out so we'd probably turn off) and a very useful alert to show that Bluetooth is disconnected. Right now you can check if you're connected or not but it sounds like the Gear S2 will actually nudge you to let you know.

If you haven't seen the update pop up, open up your Samsung Gear app to grab the new software. There's nothing too major here but it's good to see Samsung continuing to support its smartwatch the way that Google and Pebble have made their smartwatch platforms better and better over the past 18 months or so. If Samsung skips a smartwatch launch at MWC later this month and continues to improve the S2, that should encourage developers to build more apps for it, especially if sales figures are released.

Having already tested the regular model, we have just received a shiny new Gear S2 Classic to try out so look out for an update to our Gear S2 review in the near future.

Samsung Gear S2 update brings apps, watch faces and emojis


How we test



By

Sophie was Wareable's associate editor. She joined the team from Stuff magazine where she was an in-house reviewer. For three and a half years, she tested every smartphone, tablet, and robot vacuum that mattered. 

A fan of thoughtful design, innovative apps, and that Spike Jonze film, she is currently wondering how many fitness tracker reviews it will take to get her fit. Current bet: 19.

Sophie has also written for a host of sites, including Metro, the Evening Standard, the Times, the Telegraph, Little White Lies, the Press Association and the Debrief.

She now works for Wired.


Related stories