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Samsung Gear S2 and S2 Classic show off spinning style (pictures)

Samsung's new smartwatch is controlled via a rotating bezel that's used to scroll through menus. We've taken the new tech for -- ahem -- a spin, so click through for hands-on photos.

Luke Westaway
Luke Westaway is a senior editor at CNET and writer/ presenter of Adventures in Tech, a thrilling gadget show produced in our London office. Luke's focus is on keeping you in the loop with a mix of video, features, expert opinion and analysis.
Luke Westaway
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1 of 6 Tyler Lizenby/CNET

BERLIN -- Samsung's new smartwatch may look like many others, but it takes a novel approach to navigation, letting you browse menus by spinning that bezel around the edge. Click through to check out our hands-on photos.

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2 of 6 Tyler Lizenby/CNET

This is the Gear S2 Classic, which is similar to the Gear S2 but has a fancier leather strap.

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3 of 6 Tyler Lizenby/CNET

The Classic is almost identical in other respects, here's one of the many optional watch faces on show -- this one's looking rather minimalist.

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4 of 6 Tyler Lizenby/CNET

The Gear S2 and Gear S2 Classic both connect to a smartphone over Bluetooth. If, however, you want something a little more flexible, Samsung will also be selling the Gear S2 as a 3G version, which can make phone calls without being tethered to a smartphone.

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5 of 6 Tyler Lizenby/CNET

Posed on a human's wrist, you can see that the Gear S2 is quite small. That's refreshing, as many smartwatches released to date are conspicuously chunky.

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6 of 6 Tyler Lizenby/CNET

Samsung's promising two- to three-day battery life for the standard Gear S2, which is quite a claim. If it's true, and if the spinning dial interface proves to be a winner, Samsung could have a very tempting smartwatch on its hands. Or on its wrists, at least.

For more of the best of IFA 2015, see CNET's complete coverage.

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