Samsung Gear 2 a snap to repair, iFixit says
Samsung's new smartwatch earns high marks for repairability in a teardown by the gadget repair guys at iFixit.
The folks over at iFixit, who tear apart consumer tech and sell product to help DIYers perform their own gadget surgeries, gave the Gear 2 smartwatch a repairability score of 8 out of 10 (with 10 being the easiest to repair) on Wednesday, saying that just about everything but the display was easy to remove.
According to iFixit, the display assembly inside Samsung's recently unveiled smartwatch is fused and then glued to the front of the device, limiting repairability. The device's wristband, however, was easy to remove, and the same held true for the battery, which could be removed with no tools necessary.
Samsung showed off its Gear 2 smartwatch at Mobile World Congress earlier this year. The device works with Samsung handsets and allows users to make and receive calls, view notifications, and capture photos, in addition to telling time.
The Gear 2 being easy to take apart, and its battery easily removable, was expected. The device is partly designed to compete with watches people are wearing now, and taking those apart to remove batteries is extremely simple.
In addition to its repairability, iFixit took an inventory of what's under the hood. The company found that the smartwatch comes with a 1GHz dual-core CPU and Samsung's own gyroscope for movement-tracking. Other companies, including STMicroelectronics and Motorola, also have components bundled in the Gear 2.
CNET has contacted Samsung for comment on the Gear 2 teardown. We will update this story when we have more information.