Wednesday, 4 September 2013

Samsung Galaxy Gear preview: Smartwatch wars start with a whimper, not a bang


There’s no question that Samsung’s Galaxy Note 3 was highly anticipated leading up to Wednesday’s IFA announcements, but most enthusiasts seemed even more excited for another new Samsung device. Yes, the Galaxy Gear is now official and it marks the start of the wearables war. Smartwatches are nothing new, of course, but offerings from major consumer electronics companies thus far have gone largely unnoticed. In fact, the most talked-about smartwatch on the planet is nothing more than a rumor right now. Regardless of if and when Apple debuts its “iWatch,” Samsung has struck first and it will use its momentum and its massive marketing budget to give smartwatches their best shot yet at becoming a category that actually matters.
Samsung’s Galaxy Gear smartwatch isn’t exactly a masterpiece when it comes to fashion, but at least it’s not as ugly as the prototype we saw leaked photos of a few days ago. The styling might even appeal to some users who aren’t afraid to let their nerd flag fly.
The Gear hardware in general feels much better than your typical Samsung device. The main reason, of course, is that Samsung opted for stainless steel for the Gear’s case rather than its typical plastic. The result has a much more premium feel than we’re used to from Samsung, and that’s a good thing.
In terms of the look of the device, well, it could be worse. The face of the Galaxy Gear is just a display wrapped with a nice brushed steel that is sleek and reasonably good-looking. The four exposed screws are a nice touch as well. There’s a camera integrated into the Gear’s strap as well as a speaker.

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