Samsung Gear S2 priced for October 2 release

Samsung has just announced that its latest pair of smartwatches, the Gear S2 and Gear S2 Classic, will be available for purchase starting October 2nd (that's this Friday) in the US. Among the places offering the wearables at launch are Samsung's own online store, Amazon, Best Buy, and Macy's. The standard, sportier Gear S2 is priced at $300, while the more upscale Gear S2 Classic is $350. Samsung notes that customers will be able to try them on for sizing at Best Buy and Macy's Herald Square from October 2nd, and more Macy's locations across the country starting October 16th.

Rather than running Android Wear, the Gear S2 is powered by Samsung's own Tizen operating system. But the smartwatch is still compatible with most Android phones running Kit Kat 4.4 or above, as well as Samsung's own smartphones.

As the company's first round-faced wearable, the Gear S2 combines a rotating bezel with the touchscreen display for navigating the interface. While we've yet to spend enough time with one for a full review, you can see our initial hands-on impression in the video below.

Both models of the Gear S2 feature a 1.2-inch circular display with 302ppi, in addition to offering 4GB of internal storage and 512MB of RAM. Included are sensors for measuring hearth rate, as well as the typical accelerometer and gyroscope. When paired with a phone, the watch can display notifications for things like email, messages, and incoming calls, and come with Samsung's S Health fitness tracking app, and the S Voice assistant.