It's about time. Samsung has finally revealed its long-awaited smartwatch the Samsung Galaxy Gear - but so far, we're sceptical that a smart device on your wrist can compete with the smartphone in your pocket.
The Gear was unveiled at Berlin’s IFA show, and is curiously referred to by Samsung as a 'wearable' rather than a watch. Samsung confirmed the device will be launched worldwide from September 25 onwards, alongside the Galaxy Note 3, and will retail for around $300 USD.
Rather than existing as a stand-alone device, the Gear is more like an accessory or companion to your Samsung smartphone. It was designed to work with the Galaxy Note 3 and Note 10.1, but will supposedly work with the Galaxy S III, Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note II, if users install a software upgrade.
Samsung is marketing the watch as a way to ‘further integrate the Galaxy experience into everyday life.’ As such, it’s a product that’s aimed at existing Samsung users (unless you’re prepared to fork out for the Gear and a Galaxy smartphone all at once).
How it works
First of all, the specs. The watch face measures 1.63 inches with a 320 x 320 pixel, 278 pixels-per-inch resolution and a super AMOLED screen for a thinner design. Users can move from app to app by swiping across the screen.
The Gear will come with 4GB of internal memory and features a 800 MHz processor. In terms of battery life, Samsung is optimistic that the watch can provide up to 25 hours of ‘normal’ usage on a single charge.
The device will work by staying connected to your Samsung phone via Bluetooth (what Samsung is calling 'Smart Relay'). The screen notifies wearers of any incoming calls, texts or emails, provides a discreet preview and gives users the opportunity to respond to or ignore incoming alerts and requests.
It also features S Voice integration, and we suspect Samsung will be pushing the hands-free benefits of owning the watch quite heavily in its marketing. Users will be able to make calls hands-free, as well as create texts and schedule calendar events
The clasp on the back of the device contains a microphone and earpiece, so answering and making calls is as simple as lifting the back of your wrist to your ear.
Features
Members of the general public who protested Google Glass’ potential privacy issues may need to pick up their pitchforks again over the Gear’s 1.9 megapixel camera. The lens is located on the watch band, just beneath the screen, and can capture pictures and 720p video.
Users just need to swipe downwards from the homescreen to access the camera app, and tap the screen’s image to capture content. It’s a means of taking photos and video that’s much less obvious (and therefore potentially more suspicious) than the smartphone ‘point and tap’ method.
The Galaxy Gear will also come with a range of built-in features such as Auto Lock and Find My Device, and Samsung has confirmed that over 70 specially tailored apps will be available for download once the watch hits stores later this month.
Featured apps include fitness programs such as MyFitnessPal and Runkeeper; social networking app Path; Evernote, for easily capturing memos and setting reminders; and even good old eBay.
Our thoughts so far
In terms of usefulness, the fact that it needs to be paired with a compatible Samsung device raises the obvious question of ‘Why bother?’
The hands-free capabilities will definitely be a plus for people who make and receive calls on the go, but regarding the other features, there’s nothing you can achieve with the watch that couldn’t be done by just reaching in your pocket or handbag and pulling out your Galaxy smartphone.
The screen is far too small for tasks such as email, text messaging or Web browsing – one of the big reasons why smartphones became so popular to begin with.
Samsung has high hopes for the Galaxy Gear, anticipating that in the near future wearable technology will be be as much a part of the mainstream as smartphones are today. While this may eventually be the case, the Galaxy Gear is far from being the ‘fashion icon’ Samsung is promoting it to be.
A wearable gadget that converts into, among other things, a phone and camera will probably appeal to aspiring secret agent types...although we suspect the reality may be more Maxwell Smart than James Bond for the majority of wearers.
For the time being, smartwatches exist as a niche product for the truly tech-savvy who prioritize technology over style. While the Gear isn’t hideous, it’s design is clunky and mannish – there’s nothing cute about it, and this may be off-putting to certain demographics (i.e. the laydeez).
For a $300 piece of technology, it actually looks kind of cheap in the pictures we've seen so far. Perhaps we’ll change our minds when we get the opportunity to try the device out for ourselves, but for now, the good people at Rolex can rest easy.
Featured image: Samsung Tomorrow at Flickr
Other images from Samsung Media
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