Samsung Gear 2 beats Apple to fitness-tracking smartwatch

The Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo improve on the original Galaxy Gear, which received poor reviews and was described by Samsung as an unripened fruit, by being at least 5.8g lighter and 1.1mm thinner.The new smartwatches have ditched Google’s Android software in favour of Samsung’s own new Tizen software and have enhanced functionality with fitness and health tracking, and the ability to play music via Bluetooth headphones without needing to connect to a smartphone or tablet.“Offering extended connectivity features, stylish customisation options and a robust application network, we have enhanced everything that people love about the original Galaxy Gear to create a second generation of wearable devices that offer unparalleled smart freedom,” said Simon Stanford, vice president of IT & mobile for Samsung Electronics UK & Ireland.The Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo remain companion devices relying on Samsung’s smartphones and tablets for internet access. They both connect via Bluetooth to display notifications, provide call handling and access to Samsung’s S Voice vocal assistant.Samsung has added the ability to perform functions independent of a smartphone or tablet, improving on the original Galaxy Gear, including playing music with an integrated player and 4GB of storage space.The new smartwatches will be able to run both Samsung and third-party applications built for Samsung’s new Tizen software, including apps from CNN, Expedia, eBay, Evernote, Feedly, Garmin, Line, Paypal, Runtastic, and the Weather Channel.The Gear 2 packs a 2-megapixel camera at the top of a 1.63in Super AMOLED screen for capturing photos. The Gear 2 Neo lacks the camera. Both smartwatches will include an infrared emitter for controlling other devices like a TV or video recorder using Samsung’s WatchON Remote application.Samsung has fitted an accelerometer and gyroscope – capable of acting as a pedometer as well as an optical heart rate monitor – to the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo. It means the device can integrate with Samsung’s health and fitness tracking applications, replacing the need for additional fitness tracking gadgets like the Fitbit or Misfit Shine.Apple is expected to release a smartwatch in the near future with a strong focus on fitness and health tracking, as well as a “Healthbook” application for its next iteration of its iOS iPhone and iPad software. The announcement of the Gear 2 by Samsung today at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona gives the Korean company a head start of at least a couple of months over its US rival.The Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo will be compatible with a range of Samsung devices and be available in April. Gear 2 will be available in black, gold and brown, and orange and will weigh 68g, while the Gear 2 Neo will be available in black, grey, and orange and will weigh 55g.Both smartwatches have a 1GHz dual-core processor with 512MB of RAM and are estimated to have a 2-3 day battery life by Samsung. Pricing was unavailable, but the Gear 2 is expected to be priced similarly to the original £300 Galaxy Gear.(theguardian.com)ANN.Az