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SAMSUNG HAS STOLEN a march its biggest competitor by becoming one of the first big tech companies to unveil a smartwatch.
At a highly anticipated event in Berlin tonight, the mobile giant showed off the Galaxy Gear watch, which comes complete with most of the capabilities of the average smartphone. However the watch is more of a companion than a replacement – it has to connect to a phone via Bluetooth to work.
Users will be able to make hands-free calls and check notifications for emails, text messages and alerts without having to look at their phone. The watch also has a 1.9 megapixel camera, and there are around 70 apps compatible with the device.
Samsung Mobile said that users will be able to “draft messages, create new calendar entries, set alarms and check the weather” on the watch.
The technical specifications of the watch are impressive: it has an 800 MHz processor, 512 MB of RAM and 4 GB of internal storage. It also has a microphone built in for making calls over a Bluetooth smartphone connection.
However – and there was always going to be a ‘but’ with a product as new as this – the watch will only work with Samsung’s Galaxy Note 3 phone. It looks likely that it will in the future work with other Samsung phones – including the popular Galaxy S III and S4 – but it does not look like it will work with other phones.
The battery of the watch is believed to last for about one day’s worth of use. It takes a charge from a dock via a micro-USB.
The watch, which is available in six colours, will be launched on 25 September around the world but the price is not yet known (although Bloomberg has estimated that it will be $300 – around €227).
People watch the unveiling of the smartwatch in Berlin this evening. (All pics: AP Photo/Gero Breloer)
So that’s what it looks like and what it does – what do you think? Would you get one?
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Looks like a load of crap
spot on…what the point in it if you have to be connected to a phone that’s in your pocket? what’s its selling point… “this amazing device will save you the trouble of reaching all the way into your pocket to your phone”. well done Samsung, you’ve won the race in developing the first wrist worn wrap around turd. does it come in brown?
Sounds like you are an apple fanboy
why? cos I said this yokes a piece of crap? I couldn’t give two sh*tes what company makes something if its useful, which this clearly isn’t. you sound like a muppet, go out and get one of these so you can look like one too.
Might put off thieves stealing your expensive phone from you hand while you talking naughty to the misses or the man-es………
Dont buy it so and it won’t annoy you :)
Actually they are nowhere near the first to develop the mobile phone watch. That particular turd has been around for a good while now…and it does come in brown! Other developers have had the exact same thing for ages. It’s a Bluetooth watch that loses connection if you fart too loud. When people look at these they think “Back to the future 2. “. The truth is far less glamorous
Apple fanboys are out. Go back to your sister.
Grow up
The slagging of this has nothing to do with apple fanboys. This is just a useless, unnecessary product. Simple.
It’s about as useful as google glass, but a little less intrusive perhaps. They shouldn’t refer to it as a watch though, since the battery only lasts a day, not really much of a watch is it, at least pebble lasts a week. Remember when phones charges used to last a week??
granted, they didn’t have super computers in them; that’s what all these guys should be focusing on, extending battery life, not wrist interfaces.
Snug,
Surely you can see the benefit of checking incoming notifications quickly by looking at your wrist instead of taking your phone out of your pocket? You’ll admit that is quicker.
Add to that the selling point to the fitness market and I can see its uses. I won’t be running out to buy one, but I can see the benefits.
These types of devises are going to be the norm in the future, this only the first tester and it’ll be improved upon by Samsung and everyone else
The note 3 phone this watch works worth is huge. My guess is that a lot of people who buy this phone will be happy to be able to check notifications and answer calls from their watch without having to lug the phone out of their phone or pocket. It will also mean that you are less likely to have your phone stolen as you do not have to take it from your pocket to answer the call! Batteries are holding back all modern mobile devices.
Look into graphene technology, we will soon have bendable batteries that charge quicker and last much longer.
Im very unimpressed….I wanted the watch to be an excuse to leave the phone at home! Its not very stylish either…Id say the apple version will be sleeker. I think however I’ll wait for the next few generations before I decide to buy one. I also wonder about the safety issues of having one of these devices permanently next to your skin? I thought constant contact increases the risk of skin cancers?
Oh and charge once a day!!!! FFS! Two things charging every night beside your bed….two things bleeping at you :-/ MEH!!!!
Master Bates,
Shush.
If the note 3 is so big and taking it out to use is so cumbersome that you should need to go buy a compatible watch for a few hundred euro more…maybe you should just get a smaller phone ….I recommend an iPhone for example it’s not cumbersome at all..
Can I go to Your sister?
A €300 watch where the battery lasts a full day, revolutionary!
Best part mad dog is you get to wheel the batteries with you in a H Williams trolley from the same era….
Meh, pebble may not have the specs but it’s just over €100 and works with all Android and iPhones. Has similar order of battery life. Not overly enthused about making calls or taking fotos with my wrist. The notion of a dialer is interesting though (to initiate call over hands-free kit) and should be theoretically possible with Pebble, cos it works as a handsfree device itself. Must check this out, surprised it isn’t more prominent if it has been done already.
Yep it does! http://forums.getpebble.com/discussion/5767/android-pebbledialer-new-call-controls-for-your-pebble
Pebble was great when announced a year ago but I think already superseded by the next gen like the Kreyos Meteor arriving November.
I didn’t know about that. I checked it out. Not sure how good I feel about tapping out SMS on watch-buttons … 170 bucks is a nice price though. Do you think it will make the November date?
@Robert I ordered in June when it was $99. They asked for my shipping details yesterday and I believe they’re on target for November.
groovy!
Michael Knight: I need ya buddy!
KITT: Right away Michael.
Kitt are you still there… charge your watch every night… ah jaisus…
This has got to be a wind up!
They never told you about the two big 12v car batteries that go with it
To me the interesting thing about this is how a company, any company, in this instance Samsung, currently on a roll with their smartphone successes choses a development path that is badly thought out, mostly because Samsung is a copy cat company and not innovators, as Apple are. However rumour has it that Apple are releasing an iWatch soon, unless it is utterly groundbreaking Apple will be joining Microsoft, Samsung in the wheelie bin of embarrassing invention. Apple must be sweating a little right now.
William,
In case you hadn’t noticed, the Gear watch can only be described as fugly.
Sony have a much prettier option and if Apple were to release an iWatch I think it might rival a Tag or similar brand conventional watch. No such desirability for this one for me.
I think it was easy to jump on the phone bandwagon and change the game because this area was relatively youthful in terms of style, but I wouldn’t expect the same realm of success for watches. The watch market is a lot more developed and I think you’re gona have a hard time convincing aficionados to take this kind of thing seriously. Same goes for spectacles/glasses. I’d say their best bet would be to develop a platform for this kind of thing and partner up with a few well known vendors (like what seems to be happening with TV – another highly entrenched, yet perhaps not so excessively style-concious market).
Q:Did Apple invent the mobile phone
A: No
Q: Did Apple invent a personal Music player.
A: No
Q: Did Apple invent a personal Computer
A: No
Q: Did Apple invent the Laptop
A: No
Q: Did Apple invent the smart watch
A: No
Q: Did Apple invent the computer mouse
A: No
Apple have only copied every thing that was already invented and changed it all.
Q:Were smart phones available to the masses before Apple brought us the iPhone?
A:No
Q:Did anybody give a fiddle about personal music-players beyond minidisc before the iPod came along?
A:No
Q:Were personal computers, in the home, any kind of affordable and useable reality before the Apple II?
A:No
Q:Was plug and play any kind of reality for portable computing before apple came along with their “it just works” campaign?
A:No
Q:Did Apple invent the smart watch ..
A:Em, no..
Q:Did Apple bring graphical user interface to the masses with their first Mac in 1984?
A:Yes
In the majority of cases, apple, under Steve Jobs’ leadership did ‘not’ come up with new ideas.. but so what? Ideas are like opinions.. it takes the 99% perspiration to actually change the world.
Looks like a cheap digital watch from 1984. Fail.
Exactly ..one off the calculator ones !!
What is it supposed to look like so??
Not like a plastic one you give to a child as a toy !
Looks like it came out of a lucky bag !
Sounds pretty lame. Why would I want a watch that i have to charge everyday? Sounds like too much effort.
Interesting how many Apple products visible in the photo
My sentiments entirely, was thinking that & was about to comment on that, till I saw your post. The irony
How is that ironic?
Ironic since Apple is a direct competition of Samsung #justsaying
You think using an Apple laptop at a Samsung phone launch is ironic? Would a journalist wearing a Jaguar watch at a Ford car launch be ironic as well?
And hash tags at the end of your sentence. Oh my, you really are a victim aren’t you, Lynn?
I would suggest that you go and troll elsewhere … no need for the tone of ur reply (especially at the end) – I was merely making an observation, you are the one making it personal by your sad trolling
You poor thing, you don’t like the ‘tone’ of my reply, so I’m trolling?
I realise that, like hash tags, trolling is the buzzword of the day amongst the tabloid set. But please, Lynn, learn the meaning of the word, and how it should be used, instead of throwing it around at your convenience.
Esso gave these away free with Tiger Stamps in 1980.
Free a nipper!
Free a nipper was Maxol! Roigh!
T’is only a matter of time before we’re all wearing “star trek” communicators.. Beam me up Scotty :-)
Think I’ll stick my Casio calculator watch from 1986, thanks.
I find the grin on the applefans face quite amusing
And the Steve Jobs-style presentation!
True, as they know this “gear” is rubbish.
Bought a wrist transistor radio similar to that in the Dandelion market in the 70′s
About time!!
I’ll get my coat
What a disappointment ! Spend 300 on something that does nothing much ? At least if your stick with a Samsung note it may make it more manageable than carrying a block around in your hand!
Switched from i phone to s3 and never looked back tv portal utorrent etc but this is pure shit badly thought out rushed shite
There used to be a joke about knowing an iPhone fan because he told you he had one. Now you can tell a Samsung fan because he sees your iPhone and starts foaming at the mouth screaming that Samsung’s are better with impotent rage.
Death to Apple!!!
So this “watch” isn’t just a watch and it isn’t actually a phone – well unless you buy a phone with it and carry that in your pocket too.
What the “watch” does is connect to your existing Samsung phone via Bluetooth, and if you don’t have one you’ll have to buy one with the new “watch”.
There’s nothing new here, I’ve had a thing on my wrist since I was seven years old that I called a watch and it told me the time. There’s no way I’m going to shell out the thick end of €1,000 to be able to connect to a phone via Bluetooth on an ugly wrist watch, there’s no advantage to typing on a tiny screen on my wrist when it’d be easier to just take the phone out of my pocket and use that. If I wanted to speak or listen to a call through the watch why not use a Bluetooth earpiece for a fraction of the cost and it’d work on any phone. Nah, this makes no sense.
For every you and me that have no interest in this, there’s at least one person who’ll have to have it.
You’re no doubt right Eimear but they’re touting this watch as being able to make and receive calls, send and receive text messages and send and receive emails. Oh and its rumored to be able to tell the time too, but that’s not confirmed.
Apart from the time bit that isn’t true, it does none of these things – the phone in your pocket still does them, they’re merely passed onto this “watch” via Bluetooth.
You’re left with the impression that Samsung, who’s products I usually admire, got wind of Apple’s intention to develop a similar watch-like product and in a rush to be the first with a product on the shelves Samsung allowed this… thing to go on sale. This is a big mistake, particularly if Apple can come up with anything looking more polished or offering the user something innovative. Is that likely? With Apple, its almost guaranteed.
Pants, Samsung need to stick to what they do best, copying others and give up not trying to innovate as they can’t.
That’s him sorted for Christmas
Plus one off the wrist my god lady?
Does it downloaded nudey movies?
Looks too big to sit comfortably on your wrist , and keys must be tiny. Bad enough using key pad on an iPhone .
Would not be bothered with it!
Technophobe question : Will it have to stay within a certain distance to the phone ? ? Anyone ?
Yes, about 10 metres.
Depends on how long your arm is!
If its connected by Bluetooth it will have to be within a couple of meters…
I’m sure it does it says it works via Bluetooth and the range is quite short on that ! Probably not much further than your phone in your pocket and watch on your arm
Probably within a couple of feet
Bluetooth doesn’t have much of a range which isn’t a problem in the car when you’re on you hands free. I would imagine the idea is to leave the phone in your pocket or bag.
Ok, thanks guys. No good for going out for a run so.
Lets see what Apple come up with, I’m sure it’s on the cards.
Joanna: if this watch is good for anything it’s actually fitness… It has built in runkeeper app etc. and pedometer. Then while jogging you wouldn’t of course be able to make phone call or preview emails if you leave main phone in the house, watch and phone needs to be within couple metres to each other to avail of this functionality (so watch serves as sort of high-tech remote control for your phone). Also watch is only compatible so far with new Samsung galaxy range so new Note 3 and new tablet Note 10.1.
I live in the country, I run on back roads so an emergency phone call or a call from my child’s school is exactly what I’d need it for.
I see your point though.
The nike free run trainers have a space in the sole that you put a chip in and all the info gets sent to your phone, you have to get the free app too.
Loving the irony of the audience with their iPads and Apple laptops being so hi-viz at rival Samsung product launch. Don’t think much of the watch, it looks like a retro digital watch from the 80s and clunky as well. Naw, I’ll stick with my Apple addiction ;)
Forget your 500MB RAM! I need a watch that lets me call for help to a Trans Am, from the back of a truck, driven by a computer, to come and rescue me from quicksand. Is that too much to ask? Stupid Science!
Apple all the way love me iPhone and iPad
If I can control the VHS player at school with this remotely I might be interested.
Ha ha ha Samsung, if they cannot copy Apple’s product this is what they end up with, mega fail :-)
Now wait till apple does their watch and make it properly… :)
The Apple fan boys are out in force ha ha, iphones are crap lads and being outsold everywhere :)
Have to agree with you. Have the iphone a couple of years now. Got the samsung G4 last month. Much better phone.
The Apple fan boys are awful, but the Android fan boys have become a lot worse than them in the last year or so.
Gary, I can the deluded Apple slaves are currently outnumbering us Android free thinkers by 4 to 1 :)
Why would I use this awkward, tiny screen when I can just pull my phone straight out of my pocket?
It has reason for being. Just money money money….
Exactly… Think Samsung is just trying the market with it, but I can see 4 points they will fail miserably:
- this watch does not do a lot on its own (needs phone nearby)
- battery life is laughable for it being normal watch replacement
- it only works with 2 devices only so far
- well overpriced for what it is, wow 300 quid someone here is crazy…
I’d reckon Note 3 will sell very well as it’s just even better and bigger brother of S4, and every previous note sold very well, but this watch will be just one big fail.
What a load of old pony.
Is everyone missing the point here. This watch is meant for a certain market. Currently lots of people are running like mad getting fit and have their iPhones strapped to there arms while they listen to their music and an app called map my run tells them how far and what time they have ran. This I watch will now do all that aswell as all the stuff the garmin watches currently do and them watches sell for 300 euros but don’t play music or let’s u see texts. Apple are already way ahead on having it ready to go without Bluetooth. It will sync with ur phone. Apple fan boys or not This watch will clean up.
Absolutely, think people are missing the point here. The fitness market is definitely the target market, but thinking of functionality outside of that market, it’s clearly going to be easier and quicker to check incoming notifications by looking at your watch, than digging into your pocket for your phone. It’s pretty obvious that that is going to be the future of smart technology.
My only surprise us that they released the product with compatibility to one new phone, it seriously limits the market, why not wait until it was compatible with the s3 and s4?
October is hardly that far away? “When it goes on sale later this month, the Gear will be compatible with the freshly announced Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 edition, while software updates for the Galaxy S4, Galaxy S III, and Galaxy Note II are in the works to introduce compatibility there as well. That new software should begin rolling out from October, depending on local carriers.”
All it has is a pedometer, that’s all. And for GPS and other functionality it needs to be tethered to a Galaxy Note 3 phablet. It is not practical for runners whatsoever.
They’re not just competing with Apple but an entire new market of QS (quantified self) products from FitBit, Jawbone, Withings, Misfit, etc.
This “smart watch” isn’t much better than Sony’s effort, and that was brutal.
I wore and used the Galaxy Gear at a Samsung event on Time Square yesterday. It was very underwhelming, a total disappointment.
Brian,
My bad, I presumed it would have had gps and wifi to operate apps independent of being synced to the phone.
$300 for this ill conceived toy?
What will it cost to have the sleeves of all your jackets enlarged so you can take them of without having to remove your watch first?
Love seein New gadgets but just try holding your hand to your ear or across your mouth as though your talking to someone via the watch, gets a bit achy after a bit don’t ya find. With a regular mobile you have your big head for some support. Similar I’d imagine if your sending a mail with your arm suspended, don’t seem too comfy to me
A lovely Christmas gift for a special person?
What are you saying about Claire’s other half ???
Tut tut tut
this > ” the watch is more of a companion than a replacement – it has to connect to a phone via Bluetooth to work.” so you carry your phone around u to connect & it looks like a digital watch from the 80s..#justsaying
Pre-orders come with free diesel generator!
The white lead running from the ” watch ” worries me. Anyone know what it is ?
Probably a security tether at the trade show display. Bunch of tech journalists, someone is bound to have sticky fingers.
It’s the mains lead
It would answer samsung better, to come up with a longer lasting battery for their smartphones!
What an awful write up, from what I saw in the unveiling this thing will change the way we communicate.
It sure will.
“You actually bought that crappy Samsung watch?!”
That’s how I’ll communicate with people who own one.
We’re getting there. Soon we’ll have a phone in call box. That you just have to walk in put money in dial the number you require, then if the person your calling answer’s all you’ll have to do is press button A And talk away!
I’m a Samsung user and I’m completely underwhelmed by this. Maybe if they had a wireless connection to the phone it might make sense. Might be worth buying as a collector’s item though.
Well… It has :)
It’s an ugly looking yoke
I think my Swatch will be staying where it is for now.
I just ate a big red candle! What’s this now.. . . . . Pfffft no thanks
theyll have them build into wedding rings next maybe they might call it the iring u or did you ring me. and if they throw in free calls ya can tall threw ya ring all day
Looks shite
Looks very clunky!! Think Jonathan Ive needs to be given a call
I bet apple are delighted with it!
It’s not quite there yet. Needs better battery power, and I’m not gone on the design. But it’s amazing to see something hundreds of times more powerful than my first PC was, so small.
New type of watch …. Meh
I think I’d rather strap my phone to my wrist…
No thanks
It’s OK you’re a woman, you don’t understand :)
The pebble watch is nicer, but they need to develop a curved screen, then these things will look like they fit your wrist better.
Went to a conference a few weeks ago in Finland, a professor from Cambridge was showing videos like the one in the link and reckons with graphene technology this isn’t too far away. Il hold out for this watch me thinks!! http://youtu.be/-YbS-YyvCl4
Wow its just like my phone, so there i literally no need for this
If they took the “guts” out of the strap and just sold the strap and shell, you could slot in a small phone and have a fully integrated and much higher spec watchphone for a fraction of the cost. And it wouldn’t need charging as often.
Like something outta star track or something click on it and say beam me up Scotty haha no way I’d get one
It looks way too big to be comfortable to wear and those screws on the front don’t exactly add to the look!
it doesn’t even have a radio Samsung you done it again
Ye are missing the point of this. This is just a intermediate gimmic which will get us minions used to wearable technology.
McGyver would have loved it.
I see the front row in the picture all donning apple gadgets.
I already know this will annoy me more than people who use those bluetooth ear pieces at their desk in the office.
All the people in the picture have apple ipads and macs cant beat Apple…
Where can I buy one? No mention on Amazon. The Casio is on its last legs.
Bring it out so it also works on a galaxy express please :)
Pic #5, second row on the right, Vladimir Putin?
Anybody got the time?
Hugely beneficial to drivers who will have their wrists in front of their faces anyway who now won’t be tempted to glance away at text messages, saturate the marketing campaign with that bullet point and it might not be a disaster.
It looks and sounds like it would be great for the Inspector Gadgets or Power Rangers of this world but otherwise I’m not that convinced.
have your say