Samsung Gear 2, Gear 2 Neo and Gear Fit: Hands On

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By Stan Schroeder2014-02-24 19:05:39 UTC

BARCELONA, Spain — When we first saw the Galaxy Gear, we weren't impressed — neither by the device's clunkiness nor its wanting battery life. Now, Samsung has upped the ante by launching three new Gear devices: Gear 2, Gear 2 Neo and Gear Fit.

We've tried out all three at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, and can definitely see a lot of improvement, though the jury is still out about whether or not Samsung's Gear concept is a success.

The Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo are very similar; the Neo is a camera-lass, plastic version of the device, and as such we expect it to be about $100 cheaper than the metal-cased Gear 2.

Both devices feel better to the touch than the Galaxy Gear. They're lighter, have exchangeable straps and an overall sleeker look. They also have better battery time, and perhaps most importantly, are much more independent from your smartphones. For example, you can leave your Galaxy device at home and still play music on the Gear 2 when you go for a run.

The Fit is a different breed of device, closer to what the Fitbit has been doing. There's a somewhat surprising addition, though: a curved Super AMOLED screen. The screen is not as responsive as we'd like; it's so small that some features, such as wallpapers, feel a bit silly. Nevertheless, the Gear Fit might turn out to be the most useful of the bunch, as it's much lighter and sleeker than the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo.

Check out our first impressions in the videos above.

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