When comparing Samsung Gear 2 vs Sony Smartwatch 2, the Slant community recommends Sony Smartwatch 2 for most people. In the question“What are the best smartwatches?” Sony Smartwatch 2 is ranked 2nd while Samsung Gear 2 is ranked 18th. The most important reason people chose Sony Smartwatch 2 is:
Although the Sony Smartwatch 2 only comes with watchband in the box the Smartwatch 2 can be used with Sony' options or any 24mm watchband.
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Pros
Pro 1.63 inch Super AMOLED Touchscreen
Although the screen (320x320 pixels) is not as easily readable in sunlight as other smartwatches like the Pebble with its e-ink display. The Gear 2 is still designed to be used outside and the AMOLED display provides other advantages over e-ink displays. Smartwatches with e-ink displays cannot use a camera or many apps that the Gear 2 can.
Pro Standalone Music Player
The Gear 2 features a standalone music player with 4 GB of space and the ability to connect to a bluetooth headset. This is an improvement over the Galaxy Gear and the Pebble smartwatches that can only control your phone's music player.
Pro Infrared Sensor
The infrared sensor allows the Gear 2 to use Samsung's WatchOn app to control your TV.
Pro 1GHz Dual Core Processor
The Gear 2 also gets an upgrade from the 800MHz single core of the original Galaxy Gear. This upgrade will likely allow for more powerful apps and more software upgrades.
Pro 2 Megapixel Camera
The 2 megapixel camera is a slight improvement from the Galaxy Gear and a useful addition to a smartwatch. Although the position of the camera makes it impossible to have a video chat on your wrist.
Pro Up to Three Days of Battery Life
Although the battery is not as long lasting as the Pebble smartwatches. Three days is still far better than charging the original Galaxy Gear every night and not too inconvenient.
Pro Improved Design
Pro Interchangeable Straps
Watches are as personal as clothing, but most people are likely to own only one smartwatch. The Gear 2 provides a solution with interchangeable straps even after you buy it. This was not possible on the original Galaxy Gear because the camera was built into the strap.
Pro Fitness Features
The Gear 2 has the usual fitness Features like a pedometer and a fitness mode. But the Gear 2 like the Galaxy S5 includes something unique, a heart rate sensor.
Pro Interchangeable Watchbands
Although the Sony Smartwatch 2 only comes with watchband in the box the Smartwatch 2 can be used with Sony' options or any 24mm watchband.
Pro IP57 Waterproof
The Sony Smartwatch 2 can withstand 30 minutes of being being under 1 meter of water
Pro Minimalistic Design
The design is consistent with the style of the Sony Xperia range, being very minimalistic and clean.
Cons
Con Limited Compatibility
Although the Gear 2 is compatible with a solid amount of Samsung devices, if you ever decide to go on a fling with one of Google's irresistible Nexus phones your Gear 2 will be practically useless. The Gear 2 is only compatible with Samsung devices like the
-Galaxy S5
-Galaxy S4 (Active, Zoom, and Mini)
-Galaxy SIII
-Galaxy Mega
-Galaxy Note 2 and 3
-Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition
-Galaxy Note Pro
-Galaxy Tab Pro
Con Unimpressive Display
The Smartwatch 2 uses a 1.6-inch 220 x 176 pixel LCD. This results in a disappointing 176 PPI.
Con Sluggish Software
The interactions with the software are not of the quality you would come to expect after using a modern smartphone, in particular the scrolling is laggy and the tap detection is buggy.