The new Gear successor will be presented in two variants, one with a built-in camera, the Gear 2, and the other without, the Gear 2 Neo. Both models will start shipping worldwide this April though the manufacturer still hasn’t announced a set price. The most important changes compared to the original Galaxy Gear predecessor are a new pulse sensor, a remote function (IrLED to control your TV), a waterproof case (IP67) and finally a new operating system, none other than Tizen.

The Samsung Gear 2: slightly slimmer, a hardware button, heartrate monitor and Tizen. / © Samsung/AndroidPIT

The operating system of both new Gear smartwatches is a version of Tizen, customized for mobility, which Samsung in its press release call a "Tizen-based wearable platform". The name allows us to conclude that Samsung will likely fit future wearable devices with the same system as well. Right from the get-go, the operating system offers a bunch of apps, like Runtastic, Weather Channel, Expedia, eBay and of course, some Samsung apps such as S Voice for voice command and ChatON.

Samsung is obviously attached to that physical hardware button - even on a smartwatch. / © Samsung

The Gear 2 is only a slight upgrade from the first generation of Samsung smartwatches. The company didn’t improve the display nor did they increase the storage size. On the other hand, the processor now ticks faster with a dual-core processor at 1 GHz instead of 800 MHz. In my opinion, the best improvement is the build: Samsung was successful in shrinking the watch, which is now 10 mm thick as opposed to 11.1 mm.

SystemTizen OSDisplay1.63 inch, Super AMOLED, 320 x 320 pixelProcessor1 GHz, dual-coreRAM512 MBInternal Memory4 GBBattery300 mAhCamera2 MP with autofocus (Gear 2), no camera (Gear 2 Neo)ConnectivityBluetooth 4.0 (Low Energy), IrLEDDimensions36.9 x 58.4 x 10 mm (Gear 2), 37.9 x 58.8 x 10 mm (Gear 2 Neo)Weight68 grams (Gear 2), 55 grams (Gear 2 Neo)SensorsAccelerometer, gyroscope, heart-rate monitorExtrasWaterproof to IP67 standard

It seems that Sammy won’t let go of the clunky design, but has nevertheless managed to create a more elegant watch this time around. The main reason for this is the camera, no longer found on the armband but integrated into the metal body instead.

What do you think of the new Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo? Would you be willing to run Tizen on your wrist?

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