Samsung Unveils Next Generation Gear Smartwatches Ahead of Mobile Conference Samsung Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo will run on the Tizen open source operating system.
By Jason Fell
A day ahead of the Mobile World Conference in Barcelona, Spain, tech giant Samsung pulled back the virtual curtain on the next generation Gear smartwatches. Yes, smartwatches. Plural. They are called the Gear 2 and the Gear 2 Neo.
Perhaps the biggest difference between the first and second generations of Samsung's smartwatch is that the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo will run Tizen, an open source, Linux-based operating system. Their predesessor runs Google's Android OS.
Tizen is a collaborative project between Samsung and Intel that is designed to give users a uniform experience across devices, the companies say. As noted last week, Samsung plans to present an updated HTML5 version of Tizen at the Mobile World Conference.
Related: Android? Nope. iOS? No Way. Samsung's Newest Smart Watch Will Use a Different Operating System.
There are a few visually noticeable differences in the new iteration of Gear. First, Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo have a more lightweight design. In Gear 2, the camera has been relocated from the wristband -- where it's situated on the first Gear -- to the watch's main body. Gear 2 Neo doesn't have a camera.
The new smartwatches will feature a standalone music player, so users can listen to music on the watches without being connected to a smartphone. They will also come with a heart rate sensor and a pedometer.
Gear 2 will be available in Charcoal Black, Gold Brown and Wild Orange. Gear 2 Neo will come in Charcoal Black, Mocha Grey and Wild Orange.
Otherwise, the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo seem much like the first generation Gear. The two new Gear watches will be available to customers starting in April, Samsung says.
