I hadn't noticed that there is an ir blaster built in to the Neo, the tv remote operates independently of the phone. A nice touch.
if you are an active person that is busy all the time or maybe you drive a lot then it is totally worth it. I blew 300$ on a toy essentially and I love it. It's got a full fitness suite and the notifications are great. Taking phone calls and responding to a text is great. I had the original gear (went and bought it a week before the new watch came out and exchanged it) and it is a fantastic watch after having that. If you have a galaxy gear, it is supposed to get the upgrade to Tizen so if you don't want to drop another 2-300 for an upgrade and don't care about the hardware additions then keep it.