14 DAY TRIAL // The original Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch was launched back in September 2013 and, surprisingly, just a few months later the Korean tech giant already introduced its next-gen smartwatches, in the form of the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo.
The problem was that the original Galaxy Gear wasn’t exactly the most accomplished product. Its design left a lot to be improved, it was laggy and the battery life was pretty dreadful lasting users a meager 24 hours.
Add a hefty price tag and the lack of apps and it’s no wonder the Galaxy Gear paled in comparison with other offerings such as the Pebble or Pebble Steel.
So Samsung was forced to go back to the drawing board and a couple months later, the company has unleashed its new smartwatch iterations, the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo.
Of the two, the Gear 2 Neo is the less expensive one; unlike the Gear 2 it doesn’t have a camera, but given the fact that taking photos with a smartwatch is pretty awkward, users might not even notice its absence. However, everything else is available.
With Google recently introducing its own OS for wearables, called Android Wear, does the Gear 2 Neo stand a chance?
style="color: #aa3333">Look and Feel
In a previous article we told you that one of the things needed for smartwatches to go mainstream was a robust, attractive design. The time-keeper doesn’t only have to look good, it has to look gorgeous.
A smartwatch should be thought of as a piece of jewelry you wouldn’t be embarrassed wearing at a wedding or at a fancy dinner party. Compared to the Galaxy Gear, Samsung has taken a step forward into the right direction, design-wise.
The device has a metallic looking clasp, but apart from that it appears the smartwatch is made of plastic, a polished plastic nevertheless.
Another difference is that the power button no longer lives on the side, but has moved in front, below the display. The power button can be used to turn the device on/off (obviously) but also to launch an app by double-tapping on them.
On the back, you’ll notice the charging pins and the heart rate sensor. Strapped on, the watch is pretty light and can easily accommodate any type of hand. Even on mine, which is pretty small and slim, I could easily adapt the strap to fit my complexion.
Note, the strap can be removed and Samsung has made a bunch of color options available for customers, including Charcoal Black (like the one I had), Gold Brown or Wild Orange.
The Gear 2 Neo is also IP67 certified, so that means it can survive being emerged in up to 1 m / 39 inches of water of up to thirty minutes. Therefore, you won’t have to worry in case your cat spills a drink on your wrist.
style="color: rgb(255,102,0)">Display
The Gear 2 Neo comes with 1.63-inch screen with a resolution of AMOLED 320 x 320, like we saw in the original Galaxy Gear.
The smartwatch is capable of display colorful text and images and definitely provides a better visual experience compared to monochrome watches like the Pebble.
The screen is protected by a layer of Gorilla Glass 3, so your watch should survive the occasional knocks or scratches.
The screen is readable both in inside and outside environment, but I confess taking it out on a spin during a rainy day. However, the Gear 2 Neo offers an outdoor mode that bumps brightness levels, in case you’re out in the park during a sunny day.
The screen background is customizable and you can change this setting from the smartwatch itself or from your smartphone.
To maximize battery life, while the smartwatch is not actively used, the screen remains off. When the built-in accelerometer detects a wrist movement, such as the wearer trying to look at the watch, it will turn on the screen.
Of course, the sensor is far from perfect and you’ll find the screen turns on even if you’re just scratching your head.
style="color: rgb(255,102,0)">Getting Started and Charging
Smartwatches these days are actually designed to be accessories to your smartphone/tablet. So in order to take full advantage of the wearable, one must pair it with a mobile device.
Frustratingly enough, Samsung is allowing compatibility only with its own host of smartphone and tablets. So if use anything else other than a Samsung handset, buying a Gear 2 Neo is pretty much useless.
Anyway, before diving in and seeing what the Gear 2 Neo has to offer, you’ll need to download the Gear Manager from the Samsung app store. After that, you’ll be able to manually pair the Gear with your Samsung phone/tablet. An NFC variant is also available, but it requires using the cradle.
What exactly is the cradle, you might ask. Well, it’s what you’ll need to pump juice into the Gear 2 Neo. When it’s time to pop in for a re-fill, the charging pins on the back will accommodate the cradle that is equipped with an embedded miroUSB port.
style="color: #aa3333">Power and Performance
One of the most important changes in the Gear 2 Neo (and Gear 2 of course) is that Samsung has ditched the Android operating system in favor of its own in-house Tizen, which is currently a pretty experimental platform.
Nevertheless, Samsung has done a pretty swell job here and, compared to the original Galaxy Gear, the interface is far more responsive and less laggy.
Under the Gear Neo’s small hood, Samsung has slipped in a 1GHz processor combined with 512MB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage.
Browsing through the app screens is achieved by simply swiping from left to right, while swiping downwards returns you to the previous screen.
style="color: #aa3333">Apps and Health Related Software
Icons can be reshuffled if you hold them down a few seconds and then drag them to your desired location.
The Gear 2 Neo’s settings are easily managed by Samsung’s own Gear Manager app. You can customize the way your smartwatch’s screen looks like by opting for a digital clock face or adding pedometer widgets and what not.
But notifications are the core of the Gear 2 Neo (and most of smartwatches out there too). Users will be able to choose what notifications to receive from which apps. The standard ones are for phone calls, messages and email. But you can add social media and other stuff like that, if you choose to.
Anyway, the smartwatch doesn’t always have to be in close range to your smartphone to relay notifications. You can very well leave the smartphone on your desk and go to the kitchen to grab a snack and you’ll still receive a notification if your phone is ringing.
When you get an alert for a message, you’ll actually be able to read it on the screen too, but obviously the display is too small for you to actually reply. So you’ll need to move onto the smartphone/tablet.
If you want to make a call, you can input the number from the smartwatch, which will prompt the smartphone to ring whoever you want to get in contact with. However, the Gear 2 Neo doesn’t actually have stand-alone phone calling capabilities, but Samsung is rumored to be working on a smartwatch version like that (Gear Solo).
In case you can’t answer the text or the call right on spot, there’s the option on sending some pre-made replies like “I’ll see you soon.” There’s also the possibility of attempting to come up with a reply by vocal dictation, using the S Voice functionality, but talking at your wrist might look a little kooky to some.
The best scenario would be you having some mic-enabled headphones, which might also come in handy if you want to listen to music.
That’s right, your Gear 2 Neo can store music (it does have 4GB of storage onboard) and it can play them too. Without the headphones, the sound levels aren’t much, but you’ll be able to hear the tunes if you’re in a quiet room.
Pair the Gear 2 Neo with Bluetooth headphones and the feat can come pretty in-handy when you go out for a run and don’t want to carry a chunky smartphone in your sport pants.
Another interesting feature of the Gear 2 Neo is the IR blaster that will let you control your TV via a built-in remote app.
The setup is super easy, just choose the TV brand you have (LG, Sony, Samsung) and then point the smartwatch towards it. And voila, you’ll be able to change channels, increase or decrease volumes and bring about the TV’s Settings.
The Gear 2 Neo is not only a smartwatch but also a health monitor. As we previously said, the device has a heart rate sensor on the back, which can be used to record your heart rate.
You’ll have to steadily position it and I tried for about three times before getting it right. Sadly, there’s a problem here, because sometimes you’ll have to arrange the device multiple times before getting a result.
Furthermore, you can choose to track heart rate while running, taking walks or cycling. The Gear 2 Neo also acts like pedometer, so it will count how many steps you’ve walked and how many calories you have burned in the process. Of course, the system is not perfect and at times you’ll find a bunch of extra steps will be added to your itinerary.
The Gear 2 Neo will integrate all the data into Samsung’s own S Health app, so you can analyze the progress you’ve made throughout time.
style="color: rgb(153,204,0)">Battery
Compared to its successor, the Gear 2 Neo’s battery proves to be surprisingly excellent. I spent a total of 36 hours in its company and I did not have to recharge it. Maybe it would have lasted even more, which is quite an encouraging scenario, given the fact that Samsung’s previous Galaxy Gear didn’t last that long.
style="color: rgb(153,51,102)">Overall Impressions
The Gear 2 Neo smartwatch is a fun gadget to have around, which can prove useful at times. For example, if you’re been awaiting an important call, you won’t have to remain glued to your smartphone. It gives you a little more mobility and keeps you always informed.
The health-centric apps should also be taken into consideration, but sadly I think the price is still a little too much at $199 / €143. With the same amount of money, customers might as well go out and buy themselves a decent smartphone instead.
Another major complaint of Galaxy Gear owners was the lack of apps, but Samsung has launched the Tizen SDK so we can expect app numbers to rise, following the global launch of the product. But for the time being, users will have to take advantage of a limited list of apps.
