Samsung Galaxy Gear update strips away Android in favor of Tizen
There’s no question Samsung was treading new ground with the launch of their first smartwatch, the Samsung Galaxy Gear. Shoehorning Android to fit the small screen wasn’t easy, but Samsung felt like they were up to the task. It would later bite them in the butt as the smartwatch had some glaring issues (like battery life), causing Samsung to abandon their product only a few short months later for a new and improved model, the Tizen-powered Samsung Gear.
If there’s one thing we love about Samsung, they typically offer good support for legacy devices and the Galaxy Gear is no different. In a major software update rolling out today, Samsung is giving the Galaxy Gear new life. But as an Android fan — you might not like it. Software version 2.2.0 completely replaces the old clunky Android OS with Tizen, although on the surface, many wont be able to tell the difference.
Behind the scenes, the Galaxy Gear (or is it just Gear now?) will have improved battery life, a stand-alone music player, voice commands for the camera, and other software features that debuted on the Samsung Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo.
The update is only rolling out via Samsung’s Kies software (for now), so you’ll have to plug-in to grab it, or download manually from Samsung. Keep in mind that the update will completely delete everything from the watch — part of the whole switching OS thing — and many of the apps that worked previously may not after the transition (no duh).