Samsung launches Gear S2 classic 3G with programmable eSIM for wearables

Samsung has announced that it will soon be launching a 3G/cellular version of the Gear S2 classic with the world's first eSIM for wearable devices. In 2014, the Apple iPad Air 2 became the first mainstream mobile device to offer a SIM that could be programmed to work with different carriers without the need to change between actual SIM cards, and the Gear S2 classic is the world's first device to offer the wearable version of the same technology.

The eSIM on the Gear S2 classic is compliant with the GSMA's eSIM specification, and Samsung is among many major manufacturers out there that support the specification. For a smartwatch an eSIM makes a lot of sense – even if you have a nano SIM slot, changing SIMs on a smartwatch would be far from a convenient process. Unfortunately, the eSIM is not supported by most carriers around the world at this point, so for now the Gear S2 classic 3G will be limited to a very few countries (mainly the US and a few European markets, like the UK).

When the Gear S2 was unveiled, Samsung had only revealed a cellular variant of the regular model, and we guess we now know why the company held back the cellular version of the Gear S2 classic. The Gear S2 classic 3G will be available starting March; Samsung isn't saying where the watch will be made available, and neither is there a word on pricing.

Check out our review of the Gear S2 (a video review can be found here), and let us know what you think about the new eSIM variant that will be launching next month!

Abhijeet Mishra - Editor-in-Chief

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First Samsung device: SGH-D500

Abhijeet's writing career started with guides for custom firmware for Samsung devices (including the original Galaxy S), and he moved to SamMobile in mid-2013 and worked up the ranks to Editor-in-chief. In addition to phones and mobile devices, his interests include gaming on both PC and console, PC hardware, and spending countless hours on YouTube watching videos on tech, movies, games, politics, and internet dramas.

Source Watch eSIM Gear S2 Gear S2 Classic Gear S2 classic 3G