Samsung unveils two wearable devices on its Tizen platform

South Korean electronics giant Samsung on Monday unveiled two wearable computing devices based on its Tizen platform that will be available globally from April.

The company did not disclose the price of the Gear 2 and the Gear 2 Neo, which are compatible with over a dozen Samsung Galaxy smartphones and are the first wearable devices powered by the Tizen platform.

Tizen is a Linux-based operating system for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet PCs, which was developed under the leadership of Samsung and Intel.

"Samsung continues to lead innovation in the wearable market by creating devices that are completely integrated into the lives of consumers through extended connectivity features, stylish customisation options and a robust application ecosystem," Samsung Electronics Chief Executive Officer and President of IT & Mobile Division JK Shin said during the Mobile World Congress here.

The devices have a 1.63-inch Amoled screen and a 1 GHz dual core processor.

The Gear 2 weighs 68 grams and has a 2 megapixel camera on the body instead of on the strap. Options for strap colours include charcoal black, gold brown and wild orange for the Gear 2 and charcoal black, mocha grey and wild orange for Neo.

Both devices can be used to control electronic products such as TVs and set-top boxes. The devices also have a standalone music player with bluetooth headset.

Samsung had launched an Android-based wearable computing device in India last September for Rs 22,990. It has since reduced the price to Rs 15,290 to bolster sagging sales of the smartwatch.