If you still have a Galaxy Gear 2 Neo tucked away in a junk drawer, you’re basically holding a tiny time capsule from the era when Samsung was trying to kill Android. Honestly.
Back in 2014, Samsung was in a bit of a "rebellious phase." They decided their new smartwatches wouldn't run Google's software. Instead, they pushed their own homegrown OS called Tizen. The Gear 2 Neo was the scrappy, plastic sibling of the premium Gear 2. It ditched the shiny metal and the awkward 2-megapixel camera that its "fancy" brother had built into the frame.
It was lighter. It was cheaper. It was arguably better because you didn't look like a spy from a low-budget 90s movie every time you glanced at your wrist.
But here’s the thing: most people assume these old-school wearables are just e-waste now. They think because Samsung officially pulled the plug on the Tizen Galaxy Store in late 2025, the hardware is dead. That’s not quite the whole story.
The 2014 Specs That Actually Aged Well
Let’s look at the guts of this thing without the marketing fluff. The Gear 2 Neo shipped with a 1.63-inch Super AMOLED screen. Even by 2026 standards, Samsung's display tech holds up. Colors still pop.
It had a 1.0 GHz dual-core processor and 512MB of RAM. Sounds tiny? For a watch, it’s plenty. It also had an IR blaster. You could literally sit on your couch and change the TV channel with your wrist. Why did we stop putting IR blasters in watches? It was peak convenience.
💡 You might also like: Heavy Aircraft Integrated Avionics: Why the Cockpit is Becoming a Giant Smartphone
The battery was a 300mAh cell. On paper, that's small. In reality, because Tizen was so lightweight compared to the bloated Wear OS of that era, the Neo could easily pull off three days of battery life. Try getting that out of a modern high-end watch without turning off half the features. You can't.
Why the Neo was the Smart Buy
- Weight: It weighed 55 grams. You forgot you were wearing it.
- The Camera (or lack thereof): By removing the 2MP camera, Samsung lowered the price to around $199. Plus, the strap became interchangeable. The original Galaxy Gear had the camera in the strap, which was a design nightmare.
- Durability: It had an IP67 rating. It could survive a drop in the sink or a rainy jog.
The Tizen Sunset: What Really Happened
Samsung didn't just wake up one day and decide to hate Tizen. They realized that developers didn't want to build apps for three different watch operating systems. So, they pivoted back to Google.
As of September 30, 2025, the Tizen Watch service on the Galaxy Store officially went dark.
This was a "controlled demolition." First, they stopped selling paid apps. Then, they blocked new free downloads. Finally, they cut off the ability to re-download stuff you already owned. If you didn't have your favorite watch face installed by then, it's gone.
Does it still connect to modern phones?
Kinda. But mostly no.
📖 Related: Astronauts Stuck in Space: What Really Happens When the Return Flight Gets Cancelled
If you’re rocking a Samsung phone released after 2021—like an S24 or the new S26—the Galaxy Wearable app basically refuses to talk to the Gear 2 Neo. Samsung explicitly stated that the "service quality cannot be maintained" on newer devices. It’s a polite way of saying "please buy a Galaxy Watch 7."
However, if you have an old Galaxy S10 or an Note 9 lying around, the Neo still pairs. It still tracks steps. It still measures your heart rate. It’s just... isolated.
The Community keeping it on Life Support
Tech enthusiasts are weird (in a good way). There's actually a community over at postmarketOS and various XDA forums trying to keep this hardware alive.
Some people have managed to bypass the "activation lock" that pops up if the watch isn't paired to a Samsung phone. There's a trick where you tap the watch icon on the screen about 20 times to force it into a basic mode.
There are even fringe projects trying to port Linux or very stripped-down versions of Android to the Gear 2 Neo. It’s not practical for your grandma, but for a tinkerer? It’s a fun weekend project. The fact that the Bluetooth chip is technically capable of Wi-Fi (even though Samsung never enabled it in the official firmware) makes it a "what if" masterpiece for hackers.
👉 See also: EU DMA Enforcement News Today: Why the "Consent or Pay" Wars Are Just Getting Started
Why We Should Miss the Neo
We’ve lost something in the transition to modern smartwatches. The Gear 2 Neo was simple. It didn't try to be a phone; it was a companion.
It had a physical Home button right below the screen. No weird side-swiping or accidental touches. You pressed the button, you went home. It was tactile.
The heart rate sensor on the back was one of the first to hit the mainstream. Was it as accurate as a chest strap? No. Was it "good enough" for a morning walk? Absolutely. It syncs with S Health, which was much simpler back then before it became the massive data-collecting beast it is today.
Actionable Next Steps for Owners
If you find a Gear 2 Neo today, don't just toss it.
First, check the battery. These lithium-ion cells don't like sitting at 0% for five years. If it bloats, get it out of your house. If it charges, you've got a great standalone music player. It has 4GB of internal storage. You can load it with MP3s, pair some Bluetooth earbuds directly to the watch, and go for a run without your phone.
Second, if you're into home automation, look into the WatchON app if it's still installed. Using that IR blaster to control a "dumb" TV in a guest room or a gym is a great way to repurpose old tech.
Finally, realize that the Galaxy Gear 2 Neo represents the end of an experimental era. It was a time when companies actually took risks with hardware design and software independence. Even if it's just a digital paperweight now, it's a reminder that sometimes the "budget" version of a product is the one that actually gets the user experience right.