just barely six months, Samsung is already introducing its second smartwatch, no, it should be second and third smartwatches, to be more specific. meet the Samsung Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo – the smartwatches that are designed to convey the next level of freedom, convenience and style of wearable technology, but you already knew that, don’t you? however, one thing you may not know about this new-generation smartwatches is, it is not Android-powered like the GALAXY Gear (and presumably the reason behind the non-inclusion of the GALAXY namesake); instead it runs off a Tizen-based OS and has a speedier, though unspecified, processor clocking in at 1GHz.
it still has the same 1.63″ Super AMOLED with 320 x 320 resolution and it is visually pretty similar to the Android-powered Gear. upon a closer inspection, it reveals a finer design which looks a little more ‘formal’, but despite that ‘dressy’ look, it is built to IP67 rating for resistant against dust and water, albeit not ruggedized. noise cancellation comes as standard and it has the sensors necessary for some pretty well-rounded fitness features, including heart rate sensor, accelerometer and gyroscope. on this Tizen-based wearable device, it has a wee bump in the imaging department by the way of a 2MP autofocus camera with 720p videoing capability and boasts other camera features such as Samsung’s Sound & Shot, location tagging, as well as signature.
Bluetooth 4.0 technology is in place for wirelessly hooking up with your smartphone, as well as for connecting to Bluetooth headset and speaker. there is also a built-in IrLED sensor for controlling electronic products using the WatchON Remote app. other details include half a gigabyte of RAM, 4GB onboard storage, a 300 mAh lithium-ion good for 2-3 days of ‘typical’ usage, and interchangeable strap. there are only two key elements that differentiates the two versions: Gear 2 Neo model does without the camera, and hence it is a tad lighter than the Gear 2. both the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo are compatible with “more than dozens of Samsung GALAXY smartphones at lunch.”
as you might have guessed, the Korean electronics juggernaut will be showing off the Gear 2 Smartwatch at this year’s Mobile World Congress, after which it is expected to hit the market in April. price is unknown at this point. bummer.
