14 DAY TRIAL // Samsung is looking to become a reputable presence in the wearable market, and at MWC 2014 we saw the tech giant introduce the successors of the original Galaxy Gear smartwatch, the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo.
The two models are hitting the market after only six months since the Galaxy Gear, so in case this is just too fast-paced for you, we've put together a list of differences between the three models, so you can make an idea whether the new products are really worth your money or not.
New name and new OS
The biggest difference between the Galaxy Gear, Gear 2 and Neo is pretty obvious. Samsung has decided to drop the Galaxy branding, opting for a cleaner name. Moreover, the Android default operating system has been put aside as well, in favor of Samsung’s own developing platform, Tizen.
Thus, Samsung wants to highlight the Galaxy moniker is a brand specific to its Android line of products. Anyway, the differences between Tizen and Android are going to be felt more in terms of what apps are going to be made available with the smartwatches.
Users will still have a time display, but now they get to add menus for quick access. Nevertheless, it’s pretty clear Samsung is looking to have more control over its software, rather than paying licensing fees to Google.
Samsung is also expected to ditch Android for Tizen in some of its smartphones and even for some tablets (the Magazine UX interface already represents a big step away from Android).
The next-gen Samsung smartwatch comes in two versions
Samsung has produced not one, but two successors to the Galaxy Gear smartwatch. The Neo version is a tag Sammy uses to highlight its lines of devices aimed at budget consumers.
To this end, the Gear 2 Neo won’t come sporting a camera, like the Gear 2.
Screen, power and performance
The Galaxy Gear, Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo all share the same 1.63-inch Super AMOLED display with 320 x 320 resolution and 278ppi. Compared to the Galaxy Gear’s 800MHz processor, the new models have been upped a little bit in terms of performance, bundling a 1GHz dual-core processor combined with 512MB of RAM.
Cameras
As mentioned above the Gear 2 Neo doesn't have a camera at all, which leaves us to compare the Gear 2 and Galaxy Gear. The Gear 2 has the camera on the top of the actual watch, while the Galaxy Gear houses it into the strap.
The original Samsung smartwatch bundles a 2MP autofocus camera capable of 720p, 30fps video, while the Gear 2’s is slightly better, being a 1.9MP BSI sensor camera.
Customization
Unlike the Galaxy Gear, the two new models want to really match the wearers’ personality. So, users can basically swap the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo strap with any compatible 22mm available on the market.
The Gear 2 arrives with a charcoal black, gold brown or wild orange out of the box, while the Gear 2 Neo offers charcoal black, mocha grey and wild orange as options.
Fitness capabilities and music player
The original Galaxy Gear didn’t have any fitness-tracking hardware, but with the help of third-party apps, users would have been able to achieve that end. But the new models come bundled with a lot of sensors that are capable of monitoring your life.
Both Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo are equipped with a hear rate sensor, pedometer, gyroscope and accelerometer. Also great for health-related activities like running or working out, the two models have an embedded music player that can store up to 4GB of music.
Apps and TV control
Unlike the original Galaxy Gear, the two new smartwatches allow users to control their TV sets from their wrist. Furthermore, apps like eBay, Evernote, Feedly, Garmin, Line, Path, Volkswagen and more will come to the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo soon.
Battery
The Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo have a 300mAh battery, which is said to be able to last two to three days (low usage of up to six days). By comparison, the Galaxy Gear has a larger 315mAh battery that can last up 25 hours of typical usage (150 hours of standby).