Samsung Gear S2 by de GRISOGONO is a Tizen smartwatch with real diamonds and gold

Other than Apple Watch, smartwatches can't be luxurious and stylish, right? Wrong. Sure, Apple may be the leader in tech fashion, but other manufacturers are getting in on the game too. Just yesterday, I wrote about some really fancy-looking Fossil watches that are totally chic.

Today, however, what may be the most luxurious smartwatch of all time makes its debut. Samsung is partnering with watch and jewelry-maker, de GRISOGONO, for a special version of the Tizen-powered Gear S2. It is so fancy, that even Jony Ive of Apple may be jealous.

"The Samsung Gear S2 by de GRISOGONO channels inspiration from traditional jewelry and watchmaking, evoking the distinctive de GRISOGONO design heritage. The smartwatch is transformed into smart fashion with rose gold, over 100 black and white diamonds and a bracelet studded with de GRISOGONO’s signature galuchat. The diamond-set gold bezel turns freely around the dial, allowing consumers to access the Gear S2’s library of applications and features, including notifications, activity logs", says Samsung.


Fawaz Gruosi, Founder and Creative Director, de GRISOGONO explains, "designing a connected watch with Samsung has been an incredible experience for both brands. Samsung brought to the table the best and most intuitive technology, while de Grisogono brought its glamorous design and craftsmanship expertise. The resulting Samsung Gear S2 by de Grisogono clearly embodies all of our boldness in watch design and our jewellery savoir-faire, while maintaining all of Samsung's technological capabilities and intuitive usage".

As per below, the technical specs are identical to the vanilla S2.

Case: 41 mm, rose gold set with 56 white diamonds (approx. 1.2 cts), black DLC-coated stainless steel set with 71 black diamonds (approx. 1.8 cts)
Watch faces: A two-hand dial with dual-time display complete with day/night indicator at 3 o’clock, day-date indicator at 6 o’clock and small seconds at 9 o’clock, A two-hand dial with a central seconds counter, a power-reserve indicator at 4 o’clock and a moon phase at 8 o’clock.
Strap: Black Galuchat, Triple folding clasp, Black DLC-coated stainless steel
Display: 1.2 inch, Circular Super AMOLED, 360x360, 302ppi
Storage: 4GB Internal Memory
RAM: 512MB
Connectivity: Wi-Fi: 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, NFC
Sensors: Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Heart Rate, Ambient Light, Barometer
Battery: Wireless Charging, 250mAh Li-ion, Typical Usage 2~3days
Unfortunately, pricing on this beautiful smartwatch is still unknown. With that said, it is safe to assume that it will be way too expensive for most consumers. If you do think you will have the money to buy this watch, you will get your chance in the summer when it goes on sale.

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Samsung Z1 (2016), Next Tizen Based Smartphone on the Way

Samsung Launched its first Tizen-based Smartphone, Samsung Z1 in India last year, just for Rs. 5,700. Later, in October, it launched another Tizen operating system based smartphone, the Samsung Z3 for Rs. 8,490. In a report by Sammobile, Samsung is planning to introduce another smartphone running Tizen OS which will be a successor to the Samsung’s first Tizen-based Z1. This new smartphone by Samsung, according to Sammobile, has been named as Samsung Z1(2016).

This new device has been given a new model number SM-Z150 to distinguish it from the earlier Z1 (Z130H). Samsung Z1 (2016) will supposedly feature AMOLED display similar to one seen on Samsung Z3, which has become Samsung’s favourite display type for its budget phones. However, other than the display type nothing else is known about this upcoming smartphone.

To recall, Samsung Z1 featured a 4-inch TFT display with a resolution of 480×800 pixels, it was powered by a Cortex-A7 1.2GHz dual core processor assisted by Mali-400 GPU and had 768MB RAM with 4 GB of internal memory and an expandable storage slot that could fit in a micro SD card of up to 64 GB.

When it comes to dimensions, the Samsung Z1 measures 120.4×63.2×9.7 mm and weighs 112 grams. On the camera front, it sported a 3.1-megapixel rear camera lens with LED flash and a 0.3-megapixel front camera. In terms of connectivity Z1 is dual SIM smartphone which offered 3G, GPS, WiFi, and Bluetooth 4.1. All of this was fueled by a removable 1500mAh Li-ion battery. The new Samsung Z1 (2016) is expected to be a successor to this old Tizen smartphone so we speculate that Z1 (2016) will feature more upgraded and refined specs than this old hook.

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Tizen Z1 2016 to launch with AMOLED screen

Samsung is on an update streak, the company has released substantial updates to all its budget as well as mid-range devices. The South Korean company is also looking forward to update its own Tizen line-up which seems like has been in works since forever. Similar to Samsung's other devices that have been given the same name with the '2016' tag, the successor to the Tizen Z1 will also maintain the same tag.

Despite the budget constraints, the device is believed to sport Samsung's trademark AMOLED display. The first generation device has completed its annual update cycle in February this year. The company has also been working on a new Z5 variant in the Tizen line up, which might be a higher version of the Z3 launched last year.

With the introduction of AMOLED screens in the Tizen line-up, we can assume that the South Korean giant is signalling towards a grand plan for their own operating system. The Tizen store has already expanded in the international arena but lacks good hardware support. We will have more clarity regarding Samsung's plan for Tizen once the second generation of the Tizen Z1 is launched.

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Best Smart TV OS: Android TV vs Firefox TV vs Tizen vs WebOS

Before purchasing a new Smart TV, make sure that its operating system suits your everyday needs. To help you choose wisely, here’s our handy guide to what each one looks like, and what features it packs.

What is HDR?

Android TV - best for apps

With televisions getting ever smarter, it makes sense that the world’s most popular operating system for phones – Google’s Android – should make its way onto our goggleboxes. One of the biggest strengths of Android TV is that you get access to the Google Play Store – which means you have thousands of apps at your command, so popular media- streaming services such as Netflix and BBC iPlayer will be present and correct.

Android TV: everything you need to know

What’s more, a recent update has ensured that any service hosting 4K content will be able to display Ultra HD films and programmes on compatible TVs. Voice search is also heavily integrated into Android TV, making it extremely easy to find what you want to watch; and if you’re looking for inspiration, you could just ask for “award-winning dramas” to get some suggestions. With the might of Google behind Android TV, we can see this platform becoming the most popular choice for smart TV manufacturers in the future; and with a healthy influx of apps thanks to the Play Store, this could be the most future-proof option.

Firefox TV - simple and stunning

Panasonic has joined forces with Mozilla – the company behind the Firefox Web browser – to offer Firefox TV. A complete refresh of Panasonic’s smart TV interface for 2015, the new interface is called My Home Screen 2.0, though it bears no resemblance to version 1.0 from 2014. The interface is filled with pop-up icons, and these colourful, circular and very large items appear stretched across the middle of the screen in a dynamically responsive carousel. It’s simple stuff, with icons for ‘My TV’, apps, devices, inputs and specific TV channels all presented. It’s also by far the easiest smart TV interface to customise, as apps or services can be ‘pinned’ to the carousel in seconds.

You get pre-loaded apps such as Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, YouTube and AccuWeather, as well as links to the TV’s internal features and services including a calendar and a Web browser provided by – you guessed it – Firefox. You can download further apps from the Panasonic apps market, though this doesn’t have quite as much to choose from as the Google Play Store on Android TV. Firefox TV is a great choice for UK users in particular, thanks to its support of Freeview Play, which integrates catch-up TV services from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 into the core user interface.

Samsung Tizen - the bright new kid
Samsung has confirmed that every smart TV it makes from now on will have Tizen TV as its operating system. As with Android TV, Tizen has its roots in smartphones, and it is increasingly being used in Samsung handsets as the South Korean company tries to move away from its reliance on Google’s platform.

Looks-wise, it’s actually quite reminiscent of webOS, with big, bright icons and shortcuts making it look great and enabling you to find your way around easily. Cleverly, the Tizen interface monitors what you watch and the apps you use, and suggests new sources, as well as enabling some customisation. A dynamically changing ‘Recent’ box in the far-left corner of the screen cycles between recently used apps, TV channels and more.

The chance to customise the on-screen icons is the highlight here; a sense of permanence is welcome when it comes to some AV inputs and key apps you use every day. The ‘Samsung Apps’ panel enables you to download new stuff, and while it lacks the breadth of apps that the Google Play Store has, it still features the big beasts like iPlayer, ITV Player, Netflix, YouTube and Amazon Instant Video. However, there are still some services that are noticeable by their absence – so if Samsung really wants Tizen TV to compete with Android TV, it’ll have to make sure it signs those up in the near future.

LG WebOS - fast and dynamic

With the arrival of webOS in 2014, LG’s smart TV offerings were completely refreshed. And it’s recently been updated, with all LG smart TVs from 2014 and 2015 now being furnished with webOS 2.0 via a firmware update. webOS 2.0 is built around a task bar that runs along the bottom of the screen.


All apps, whether a content hub such as Netflix or simply an HDMI input on the TV, are treated the same on the dynamic display, which sees icons pop up, jig about, drop down and change order. It’s fast – really fast – which is a great improvement over older smart TVs, which often felt rather laggy and slow. However, webOS 2.0 is not as easy to customise as it could be – especially when compared to Firefox TV and Tizen.

Content-wise, it’s pretty good, with only ITV Player and 4OD missing from a line-up that includes Netfl ix, Amazon Instant Video, BBC iPlayer, YouTube, the underrated Blinkbox, Wuaki.tv and – exclusively – Sky’s NOW TV. There’s a nice flicker panel for scrolling through ‘live’ sources and apps, and a ‘Today’ panel across the middle of the screen that gives you one-flick access to scrolling cover art for live TV programmes and movies (though, at the moment, only those available on Wuaki.tv).

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Review: Samsung Gear S2 Is an Android-Friendly Tizen Smartwatch

We don’t understand the point of smart wearables if company’s can’t justify their existence or overvalued pricing. Apple Watch in India is priced starting at Rs 34,000 while the Motorola Moto 360 2nd gen sells for Rs 19,999. Samsung is the latest to jump in with the Gear S2 that comes with a brand new version of the Tizen UI.

Starting from Rs 24,800, the Samsung Gear S2 is cheaper than the Apple Watch but can it succeed where Motorola has failed?

Key Specifications: Samsung Gear S2

• Display: 1.2-inch Super AMOLED 360 pixels with Corning Glass 3
• Operating System: Tizen 2.1 UI
• Processor: 1GHz Dual-core Exynos 3250
• RAM: 512MB
• Battery: 250mAh
• Compatibility: Android 4.4 KitKat or higher*
• Price: Rs 24,300 & Rs 25,800

*(Note: Some features only work with Samsung Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge)

What’s Good?

Samsung has reworked Apple Watch’s Crown Dial and has designed a rotating dial for its Gear S2 smartwatch. This dial has been seamlessly integrated with the Tizen operating system.
The dial is intuitive and works as claimed by Samsung. The circular 1.3-inch display packs Samsung’s Super AMOLED quality with a 360 pixel resolution which is perfect for a wearable. The watch comes with Corning Glass 3 and with an IP68 rating, the Gear S2 can definitely take a fall or two.

Apart from receiving notifications, the Gear S2 can also be used to control music on your phone, as a fitness tracker and a heart rate monitor via the Samsung S Health app.

The build and construction of the Gear S2 is plain and simple but somehow we like the non-bling nature of the wearable. It definitely scores higher than the Gear S in terms of size and design. The Tizen UI running the Gear S2 has also been fine tuned to good effect.
Samsung seems to have put in the groundwork to make sure that its patent operating system works in tandem with the wearable, and it mostly does. The Gear S2 works with most Android phones (4.4 KitKat or higher), an added bonus for sure.

The portable charger that comes bundled with the Gear S2 is reminiscent of the one Motorola sells with its Moto 360 smartwatch. It’s handy, easy to use and works just fine, no complaints there.

What’s Bad?

The Samsung Gear S2 is priced upwards of Rs 24,000 and that’s one of biggest problems that we have with the device. Wearables at this price point are usually not a good buy and consumers will be reluctant to give the product a shot.

We like the way the Tizen UI has been designed although the lack of apps is a sore point.
We spoke to a couple of developers working on Tizen apps for the wearable and we were told that more apps will be available on the Tizen app store in the next 8 to 10 months. This means that Gear S3 might have better app support than the Gear S2.
Unfortunately, the Gear S2 does not work with iPhones and most of the features of the Gear S2 are only supported by high-end Samsung Galaxy models.

The 250mAh battery on the Gear S2 will last you just a day and a half. Samsung has added the ultra power-saving feature to compensate for this but we found that it didn’t make too much of a difference to the battery life.

Why Buy It?

Samsung Gear S2 is a well-rounded product, especially in comparison with other wearables in the market. The rotating dial is a nifty addition and sets its apart from the competition (except the Apple Watch, of course).
The Tizen UI comes in a new avatar and is much better than its previous versions. The Super AMOLED display can be overwhelming for the 250mAh battery but it still manages to last more than a day.
The Samsung Gear S2 has got most of it right. We would, however, like it with more apps and at a lower price.

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