I remember my first ever watch, I was about six, it was an analog Sekonda, it couldn’t even tell me the date, but I was happy. Having important information on hand was impressive, I’ve worn a watch ever since. I guess I feel a little lost without a watch.
In this day and age though something new is forcing it’s way onto the scene. SmartWatches. Be it Sony, Pebble, Motorola, Apple, Google, Mykronoz or now even Samsung they all seem to be involved in making people want a SmartWatch.
Over in Berlin at the Samsung Unpacked event the Galaxy Gear SmartWatch has just been launched.
The Galaxy Gear seems to be a next generation of SmartWatch with specs rivalling cheaper phones. Here are the specs
Here is the full press release if you like that sort of thing.
Samsung GALAXY experience is now extended through GALAXY Gear
Berlin, Germany – September 4, 2013 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today introduced the GALAXY Gear, a perfect companion device that further integrates the Samsung GALAXY experience into everyday life. Samsung GALAXY Gear combines smart device connectivity, tailored technological features, and stylish design as a single premium accessory.
“Samsung’s ongoing smart device innovation leadership reflects our commitment to listen to our consumers, who want their daily lives to be easier and more enjoyable. Samsung GALAXY Gear benefits consumers by integrating smart device technology even deeper into their everyday lives, and bridges the gap between the mobile device and fashion worlds to create truly wearable technology,” said JK Shin, CEO and President of IT & Mobile Division, Samsung Electronics. “Samsung GALAXY Gear frees users from the need to constantly check their smart devices while maintaining connections. It provides what we call ‘smart freedom,’ by allowing users to choose how, why, when and where they are connected.”
Experience new mobile communications freedoms
Samsung GALAXY Gear lets users to live in the moment while staying connected to their Samsung GALAXY devices. It notifies users of incoming messages, such as calls, texts, emails and alerts, delivers a preview of those messages and creates the opportunity for users to accept or discreetly ignore those messages. When an incoming message requires more than a quick glance, users can simply pick up their Samsung GALAXY devices and theSmart Relay feature will instantly reveal the full content on the screen.
Voice operation
The built-in speaker allows users to conduct hands-free calls directly from the Gear, maintaining connections to their mobile communications without disrupting their daily routines. For example, a user leaving the grocery store, whose hands are full with shopping bags, could still make a call by speaking into the GALAXY Gear without touching the screen. Users can also draft messages, create new calendar entries, set alarms, and check the weather on the GALAXY Gear with S Voice.
Capture daily life from your wrist
In addition to enabling smart device controls, Samsung GALAXY Gear introduces several features that help users easily capture life’s meaningful moments which otherwise might be missed. With the Memographer feature, a 1.9 Megapixel camera, users who are on the move or participating in physical activities can record both photos and video to create quick, visual records of important information or events from their daily lives, as well as share them on their social networks. Extending the quick-record concept, Voice Memo lets users capture important thoughts or conversations from their wrists and save those voice recordings into texts on their Samsung GALAXY devices.
A growing list of controls for favorite features
With the GALAXY Gear, users gain a wide range of favorite features that further increase the benefits of this new accessory. New security enhancement Auto Lock automatically secures the companion smartphone screen any time that GALAXY Gear is more than 1.5 meters away from the smartphone, and then unlocks the smartphone when the companion devices are near each other again. Find My Device helps users find the location of their smart devices when they have been misplaced by making them beep, illuminate and vibrate. With Samsung GALAXY Gear, users can also control the music played on their Samsung GALAXY devices. As with traditional music players, it helps users browse, play and pause songs even when their smart device is not within reach. Finally, the GALAXY Gear also works like a Pedometer to track physical activity via enhanced, built-in sensor technology. This feature systematically and automatically monitors users so they can track key personal data such as calories burned, steps taken and distance covered.
Standalone Watch and Iconic Fashion Accessory
Samsung GALAXY Gear embodies understated elegance. Its refined design, executed in, high-quality finishes, conjures images of luxury jewelry while still being understated enough to go well with any outfit. A rounded and simple flowing form wraps around the body, integrating with the user’s personal environment, and maintaining comfort at all times. The GALAXY Gear also serves as a wristwatch and includes several face options that create the opportunity for users to personalize their watch face. It will come preloaded with 10 different clock options and more choices will be downloadable via Samsung Apps. The GALAXY Gear experience can be further personalized by selecting from six colors that will be available at launch: Jet Black, Mocha Gray, Wild Orange, Oatmeal Beige, Rose Gold, and Lime Green.
Samsung GALAXY Gear will be launched with the GALAXY Note 3 in more than 140 countries around the world starting from September 25.
I was waiting to see what this looked like… one word… Ugh! (Yeah ok that’s a sound). Genuinely disappointed and I’m a Samsung fan (writing this on my much loved S4). Easy choice now though as I’ll be buying the Omate TrueSmart.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/omate/omate-truesmart-water-resistant-standalone-smartwa
$299! for this, go home Samsung, you’re drunk! There’s far better options out there already, the Kreyos and as Xander Coley says the Omate True smart and I’ve seen others. They all have more functionality, better battery and are compatible with a lot more phones, some are even multi platform. How many would Samsung sell, even at a realistic price when the watch is only compatible with the Note 3 and a couple of tablets? its actually ridiculous. What were they thinking!?
bonkers decision only to allow connection to samsung galaxy devices..
I can see that being rectified when hackers get on the case….I would get one of these for my HTC One, but I’ll be damned if I’m using a Samsung with TouchWiz on just for this 🙂
I think Samsung rushed this out to try and be one of the first. It’s Sony all over again.
Personally I’ll wait to see what other manufacturers (Sony, Apple, perhaps HTC?) bring out, and even then perhaps wait for a 2nd or 3rd gen. Samsungs concept videos have shown they’re ideas on flexi glass and this watch should’ve been the first to use it. Instead, this doesn’t really offer anything new, different or innovative.
The price for this is far too high considering the lack of compatibility, it’s ugly and the battery life sucks.
Samsung have no innovation at all. Anything they release is either enhancement, or their take on something already out there. Their ideas on something new is what they think people want or need, but in reality no-one does or it’s a novelty that soon gets tried.. Most of the S4 features fits under that category.
smartwatch is useless. it will not function without the smartphone. this is just an expensive accessory.
what is the point?????!!!!!!!