With its introduction Thursday of the Samsung Gear S...

With its introduction Thursday of the Samsung Gear S “next generation smart wearable device,” Samsung is expanding “the smartphone experience to the wrist,” the company said (http://bit.ly/1C4GfKD). In wearables, it also marks Samsung’s return to its use of the Tizen platform. Last month, a DisplaySearch blogger complained that Samsung was sending mixed messages on its choice of operating systems for wearables, having alternated use of Tizen and Android Wear on previous introductions. However, Samsung defended its use of multiple operating systems in wearables because it has found consumers “care more about the user experience” than an OS preference (CED July 25 p7). With Thursday’s introduction of the Samsung Gear S, “people can seamlessly make and receive calls directly from their wrist, or get calls forwarded from their smartphones,” Samsung said. Its two-inch curved “Super AMOLED” display (360 x 480) lets users read messages and notifications “at a single glance” with features such as “conversation view” and “condensed font,” it said. Its “customizable screen options and changeable straps empower users to express their own taste and style,” Samsung said. The Gear S will debut globally in “phases” starting in October, Samsung said, pricing undisclosed.