Summary:
Samsung is overhauling the Gear line just six months after
launching its first smart watch, trading out the Android OS for Tizen.
And instead of one new Gear watch, we’re getting two.
Samsung didn’t reveal much about either device, except a spec sheet and brief descriptions. We’re likely to learn much more about the devices early Monday when Samsung holds its press conference at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, where it’s also expected to give us a first look at the Galaxy S 5 smartphone.
The main difference between the two is that the Neo has no camera, while the Gear 2 has a 2.0 megapixel sensor mounted in the main body of the watch, which means the new devices will be customizable with different straps. The Neo is also a wee bit bigger (just by one millimeter in width) and is about 13 grams lighter than the Gear 2.
The shift to Tizen is most interesting, though, since it means Samsung is overhauling its Gear platform just six months after launch. Samsung has been a big backer of Tizen, but while it’s begun using the OS in cameras, it hasn’t yet produced a Tizen phone. Nor has any device maker for that matter.
But compatibility with Samsung’s Android-based smartphones doesn’t appear to be a problem. The device maker said when they’re commercially available in April, both watches would connect to multiple Samsung Galaxy smartphones.
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