Samsung's new Gear smartwatches are no longer card-carrying members of its Android Galaxy. That's because Tizen, the company's open-sourced OS, has taken over the reins for the line begot by the barely five-month-old Galaxy Gear. And, in typical Samsung fashion, the company hasn't released just one new Gear, but three with very specific areas of focus: the fashionable Gear 2, the functional Gear Neo and fitness-focused Gear Fit. The newly announced trio was on display here at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, giving us a chance to get acquainted with their particular quirks and let you know whether or not to free up some space on your wrist.
Based on looks alone, it's obvious the Gear 2 is Samsung's new smartwatch flagship. The device not only surpasses its stripped down sibling, the Neo, with the inclusion of a camera just above its 1.63-inch watchface, but it also boasts an all-metal enclosure and removable leather strap. This is in contrast to the Neo's all-over colorful, plastic design -- though it, too, features a swappable strap and even designer support from the likes of Moschino and Nicholas Kirkwood. Their spec differences aside, both the Gear 2 and Neo feature 4GB of internal storage, 300mAh battery, an inbuilt IR blaster (paired with Samsung's WatchOn app) for controlling your TV, IP67 rating for water-resistance, Bluetooth 4.0 for connecting to a portable media player and heart rate monitor (located under the watch face) to aid with fitness-tracking. That latter health-focused bit even goes as far as "coaching" users, via haptic feedback, to increase or decrease their exercise rate.
So how do these two new Gears differ cosmetically from the original Galaxy Gear that inspired them? For starters, Samsung's done away with the exposed metal screws of the Galaxy Gear's front face in favor of a sleeker, seamless finish that gently blends into the band. The home button has been moved to a prominent position just at the base of the touchscreen, while the camera and/or IR blaster (depending on the Gear model) reside just above the top edge. The Gear 2 and Neo also sport a bit of user customization, as both now offer a multitude of wallpaper and font options. As for their charging cradle, Samsung didn't have any on-hand to show off, but we've been told they'll be different than that of the OG Galaxy Gear's.
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