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Original Samsung Galaxy Gear drops Android in favor of Tizen

Samsung is dumping Android for Tizen. Well not completely, but the company is moving its Galaxy Gear smartwatch to its in-house operating system. An update for the first Galaxy Gear is now available through Samsung’s Kies software and in addition to a platform jump the download brings a trove of new features to this smart timepiece.

The software push introduces a new music player, customizable shortcuts for tap input, voice-controlled camera commands and several performance improvements. While these fresh features are likely to be welcomed by Gear users, they come at a bit of a price. Once the update is installed, the watch will drop support for some third-party Android software, so prepare to say goodbye to your current setup. In exchange for your sacrifice, you’ll gain access to most features found in the Gear 2, with the exception of those that require additional hardware.

(via SamMobile)

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