Samsung unveiled the Gear 2 and Gear Neo 2 smartwatches at Mobile World Congress (MWC) on Sunday, and as rumours had suggested, the devices shun Android in favour of Tizen.
The Gear 2 offers a number of improvements on the original Samsung Galaxy Gear. Chief among these is the addition of Tizen, with Samsung dumping Google's Android operating system in favour of its own open-source software, which should, according to the firm, make the devices nipper than the original model. This shift also sees Samsung dumping the Galaxy branding for its second-generation smartwatches.
However, despite running Tizen, it appears the smartwatches will still need to hook-up to a Samsung Galaxy smartphone in order to work, with the firm saying it will be compatible with more than 12 handsets at launch. We're assumng one of these will be the Samsung Galaxy S5.
Beyond software, the built-in 2MP camera now sits above the display, rather than on the strap of the device, which Samsung claims makes the device sleeker and more discreet than before. The Samsung Gear 2 Neo doesn't have a camera, suggesting it will be offered as a more affordable version.
Samsung has also added fitness sensors to both the Gear 2 and Gear Neo 2, including a heart rate monitor, pedometer, gyroscope and accelerometer, and sensors for tracking sleep and stress levels. Both watches also come with IP67 certification, which means they are resistant against dust and water.
These features arrive amid talk that Apple's mooted iWatch will focus on fitness, with the firm set to debut a bunch of health-focused features in iOS 8 this year.
The new models retain the original Galaxy Gear's 1.63in 320x320 AMOLED display and 512MB of RAM, although they have seen a bump in the processor department with a dual-core 1GHz chip under the hood, as opposed to the original's 800MHz offering. They also come with the addition of an IrLED sensor, which means you can use the watch to control your television, if you so desire.
There has been a downgrade in the battery department however, with the second-generation Gear devices featuring a 300mAh battery, compared to 315mAh. However, Samsung claims the two new watches will last longer than the original, promising two to three days of battery life.
Both the Samsung Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo will be available to buy from April this year, but there's no word on pricing just yet.
The Gear 2 offers a number of improvements on the original Samsung Galaxy Gear. Chief among these is the addition of Tizen, with Samsung dumping Google's Android operating system in favour of its own open-source software, which should, according to the firm, make the devices nipper than the original model. This shift also sees Samsung dumping the Galaxy branding for its second-generation smartwatches.
However, despite running Tizen, it appears the smartwatches will still need to hook-up to a Samsung Galaxy smartphone in order to work, with the firm saying it will be compatible with more than 12 handsets at launch. We're assumng one of these will be the Samsung Galaxy S5.
Beyond software, the built-in 2MP camera now sits above the display, rather than on the strap of the device, which Samsung claims makes the device sleeker and more discreet than before. The Samsung Gear 2 Neo doesn't have a camera, suggesting it will be offered as a more affordable version.
Samsung has also added fitness sensors to both the Gear 2 and Gear Neo 2, including a heart rate monitor, pedometer, gyroscope and accelerometer, and sensors for tracking sleep and stress levels. Both watches also come with IP67 certification, which means they are resistant against dust and water.
These features arrive amid talk that Apple's mooted iWatch will focus on fitness, with the firm set to debut a bunch of health-focused features in iOS 8 this year.
The new models retain the original Galaxy Gear's 1.63in 320x320 AMOLED display and 512MB of RAM, although they have seen a bump in the processor department with a dual-core 1GHz chip under the hood, as opposed to the original's 800MHz offering. They also come with the addition of an IrLED sensor, which means you can use the watch to control your television, if you so desire.
There has been a downgrade in the battery department however, with the second-generation Gear devices featuring a 300mAh battery, compared to 315mAh. However, Samsung claims the two new watches will last longer than the original, promising two to three days of battery life.
Both the Samsung Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo will be available to buy from April this year, but there's no word on pricing just yet.
