Samsung Gear 2 Smartwatch Torn Down And An Easy Repair Effort Too
If handset makers have their way, eventually we'll all be wearing smartwatches synced up to our mobile phones. The verdict is still out on whether this type of wearable has the legs to go the distance in the consumer market, but if it does, what happens when one of these pricey gadgets breaks and is out of its warranty period? Surprisingly, the DIY (do-it-yourself) repair route might not be all that difficult.
The surgical sons of guns at iFixIt cleared their operating table of the standard fare -- you know, things like smartphones and tablets -- and strapped down Samsung's Gear 2 smartwatch for a thorough teardown analysis. Given the device's relatively small size compared to other mobile devices, you might think it'd be a difficult procedure to tear into a Gear 2, but the opposite turned out to be true.
Removing the wristband is a simple task, and apparently so is opening up the casing. All that's required to pop off the backplate is a small Torx driver and "a bit of light prying." You don't have to worry about dangling cables attached to the backplate or annoying adhesive holding things down.
"Never before has a device been so repairable that it comes pre-loaded with markup," iFixIt notes.
A set of tweezers will definitely come in handy if you're planning to crack open the Gear 2 and poke around and/or replace a faulty component. However, you won't run into the usual roadblocks that typically plague mobile devices. When all was said and done, the Gear 2 walked away with 8 out of 10 Repairability Score.
High points that contributed to the score include the watch band being "super easy to remove," the ease of which you can get into the Gear 2 via the rear case, and the ability to peel out the battery with no tools (once you're inside the device).
As for the negatives, the only real knock is that it has a fused display assembly glued to the front of the of the Gear 2, which would make replacing it both difficult and costly.
The surgical sons of guns at iFixIt cleared their operating table of the standard fare -- you know, things like smartphones and tablets -- and strapped down Samsung's Gear 2 smartwatch for a thorough teardown analysis. Given the device's relatively small size compared to other mobile devices, you might think it'd be a difficult procedure to tear into a Gear 2, but the opposite turned out to be true.
Removing the wristband is a simple task, and apparently so is opening up the casing. All that's required to pop off the backplate is a small Torx driver and "a bit of light prying." You don't have to worry about dangling cables attached to the backplate or annoying adhesive holding things down.
"Never before has a device been so repairable that it comes pre-loaded with markup," iFixIt notes.
A set of tweezers will definitely come in handy if you're planning to crack open the Gear 2 and poke around and/or replace a faulty component. However, you won't run into the usual roadblocks that typically plague mobile devices. When all was said and done, the Gear 2 walked away with 8 out of 10 Repairability Score.
High points that contributed to the score include the watch band being "super easy to remove," the ease of which you can get into the Gear 2 via the rear case, and the ability to peel out the battery with no tools (once you're inside the device).
As for the negatives, the only real knock is that it has a fused display assembly glued to the front of the of the Gear 2, which would make replacing it both difficult and costly.
