Samsung surprised fans with an early Galaxy Gear 2 reveal and a Galaxy Gear 2 Neo announcement alongside.

The South Korean tech giant has confirmed rumors of a Gear 2 reveal at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain scheduled February 24 to 27 when they announced the new wearable Saturday night, well before the expected product announcement Monday. And while a Galaxy Gear 2 Neo reveal alongside the Galaxy Gear 2 has caught some fans off guard, most are more surprised at Samsung's sudden shift to Tizen from Android.

Both Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo now run on a Linux-based Tizen OS, which the company says is compatible with "dozens" of Samsung devices right from launch, says The Verge. The new smartwatch will still serve as a companion device for Samsung devices but not for other Android devices, notes USA Today.

Aside from ditching Android, the new Gear 2 has also ditched the on-strap camera, with the 2MP camera shifted to the smartwatch itself, directly above the 1.63-inch Super AMOLED 320 x 320 display, says USA Today. Samsung has ditched the camera completely on the Gear 2 Neo.

Being a companion device, both Gears will allow users to make and receive calls on top of displaying notifications from users' other Samsung devices onto the display.

As for other functions, the company's executive vice-president previously told Bloomberg that the second generation Galaxy Gear will have "health-care related functions" such as calorie consumption checks, heart rate monitoring and stress level measurement. True enough, the new smartwatches do not disappoint.

According to USA Today, the Galaxy Gear 2 and the Galaxy Gear 2 Neo both have "fitness oriented features" like "a heart rate monitor, pedometer, and a downloadable sleep/stress app." Both smartwatches also allow for various exercise modes, notes The Verge.

The second generation Galaxy Gear smartwatches also have a standalone music player and can function as a remote control via its IrLED sensor, says USA Today.

Samsung has not yet mentioned prices for the Gear 2 and the Gear 2 Neo but according to The Verge, the company's new wearables will be available by April - which means that a price announcement is on the horizon.

The Gear 2 is available in Charcoal Black, Gold Brown and Wild Orange colored straps while the Gear 2 Neo has straps in Charcoal Black, Mocha Grey and Wild Orange.