Samsung Electronics Co., entered the smart watch fray yesterday with the public debut of its Galaxy Gear beating to the punch, Apple Inc. which is expected to release its own wearable device next week.
The $299 Galaxy Gear has some limitations and will likely not shake away criticisms that the Korean electronics company is a mere follower rather than an innovator. Yet with the Galaxy Gear, Samsung has staked a claim on the very lucrative wearable device market and a sector of it which is quickly crowding – the Peddle was launched earlier this year, Sony will release its second generation smart watch later this month, Qualcomm announced its Toq this week.
There’s a lot to like and not like about Samsung’s Galaxy Gear.
Pros:
Galaxy Gear has a 1.9 megapixel camera that shoots 720p HD videos for up to 10 minutes.
The Gear has a 1.63-inch screen, but its 320×320 pixel AMOLED display is bright, colourful and sharp.
It’s got a speakerphone and Samsung’s S Voice command system.
It comes in six different colours.
The Gear can help you find your lost smart phone. Within a range of 30 feet, the Gear can set off an alarm to find a misplaced phone even if the phone is set on silent mode.
Cons:
Many of its best features require a smart phone to be about 300 feet away. It will only work with the new Galaxy Note 3 smart phone for now.
No Wi-Fi. The Gear does not have an independent connection to the Internet.
The Gear’s charger covers the device while it’s charging so that its buttons can’t be accessed.