Samsung Galaxy Gear apps include Path, Pocket, RunKeeper and more

Path on Samsung Galaxy Gear

Samsung’s Galaxy Gear smartwatch will launch with 70 native apps, and it turns out that there’s quite a few heavy-hitters in that bunch. Path is available to share photos taken from the Gear’s wriststrap; Pocket users, meanwhile, can have Gear read saved articles out loud. And fitness apps will definitely be in vogue — RunKeeper, MyFitnessPal, Phigolf and others have embraced Samsung’s vision. There are too many other apps to list them all, although we’ve noticed big-name titles like Snapchat in the mix. If you’re planning to pick up Samsung’s wristwear in the next few weeks, there won’t be any shortage of things to do with it.

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Source: Pocket

Samsung’s Galaxy Gear is only compatible with Note 3, 10.1 at launch

Samsung's Galaxy Gear is only compatible with Note 3, 101 at launch

Samsung’s making waves in the wearables category today with its Galaxy Gear smartwatch, but the device’s compatibility will be surprisingly limited at launch, curtailing our excitement quite a bit. According to reps, the connected wristwatch will only pair with Galaxy devices running Android version 4.3 — for the time being, that restricts use to the smartphone and tablet announced today, Samsung’s Galaxy Note 3 and the refreshed Note 10.1, though the next version of Jelly Bean may roll out to the GS4 later this year, so Samsung’s flagship handset shouldn’t be left out in the cold for long. As for third-party devices? There’s always a chance that Gear support could come in the future, but we’re certainly not counting on it, especially with this first-generation wearable.%Gallery-slideshow79384%

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Samsung unveils Galaxy Gear smartwatch with 1.63-inch AMOLED touchscreen, built-in camera, 70 apps

Samsung unveils Galaxy Gear smartwatch with 163inch AMOLED touchscreen, builtin camera, 70 apps

This week’s Galaxy Gear prototype leak didn’t leave much to the imagination. Samsung’s new wearable was expected to debut with a built-in camera, speakers and a relatively clunky design, all of which are indeed present on the device we’re meeting today. But we now have quite a bit more clarity when it comes to functionality and specifications — the rumored 3-inch display size and 4-megapixel camera resolution, for example, were incorrect. The Gear will instead ship with a 1.63-inch Super AMOLED panel with a resolution of 320 x 320. That strap-mounted camera, for its part, is designed to capture low-res shots and 10-second 720p videos, and includes a 1.9-megapixel BSI sensor and an auto-focus lens.

The big surprise here is third-party applications support — there will be a total of 70 partner programs at launch, including sharing apps like Evernote and Path, fitness companions like RunKeeper and MyFitnessPal, and a handful of other offerings, such as TripIt, Line, Vivino and even eBay. We’ll dive into software functionality a bit more in our hands-on, so for now, let’s talk compatibility and specs. We were caught a bit off guard by the wearable’s limited compatibility, though — at launch, it’ll only work with the Note 3 and Note 10.1, though some Galaxy S4 owners may be able to take advantage soon, after that device scores an update to Android 4.3. Assuming your handset is compatible, the Gear will serve as a companion device, enabling access to features like S Voice, Find My Device, a pedometer and third-party additions including those outlined above.

The device is powered by an 800MHz processor and a 315 mAh non-removable cell, which Samsung reps say should provide up to a day of “regular” use. There are two built-in mics (with noise cancellation support), a speaker, Bluetooth 4.0, an accelerometer and gyroscope, 4GB of storage and 512MB of RAM. The Galaxy Gear will eventually ship, along with the Note 3, to more than 140 countries. Pricing and country-specific availability has yet to be confirmed, but some customers should expect to have it in hand (or on hand, rather) beginning September 25th. Sadly, customers in the US and Japan will have to wait until October to pick one up for $299.

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Samsung ‘Unpacked Episode 2’ IFA liveblog!

Samsung 'Unpacked Episode 2' IFA liveblog!

Are you ready for IFA’s most-anticipated event? We’re live from the Tempodrom in Berlin, and we’ll be bringing you the latest on the Galaxy Note 3, the Galaxy Gear smartwatch and any other surprise announcements. Follow along with our liveblog to get the news — it’s the next best thing to getting a front-row seat to JK Shin and co.’s notoriously elaborate event.

September 4, 2013 1:00:00 PM EDT

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We’re liveblogging Samsung’s ‘Unpacked Episode 2’ tomorrow at 1PM ET!

We're liveblogging Samsung's 'Unpacked Episode 2' tomorrow at 1PM ET!

For the last few years, IFA has become synonymous with Samsung’s Galaxy Note. The Korean company isn’t being especially mysterious about its announcements at this year’s show, either; “note,” if you will that the action goes down tomorrow at 7PM local time (1PM EST). Will the confirmed Galaxy Note III and Galaxy Gear bring any big surprises? Does Samsung have any other devices up its sleeve? Can we expect another magician-infused press conference? We’ll be bringing you all the news tomorrow, so point your browser here.

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Weekly Roundup: Peripheral Vision, Samsung’s rumored Galaxy Gear, Nexus 4 price drop, and more!

The Weekly Roundup for 12032012

You might say the week is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workweek, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Weekly Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past seven days — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.

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Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch prototype leaked ahead of September 4th launch

Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch images leaked ahead of September 4th launch

Been wondering what Samsung’s upcoming smartwatch was going to look like? Take a seat, because VentureBeat sneaked a first look at the upcoming wearable over the weekend. According to the outlet, the prototype device features a three inch display, built-in speakers and a 4-megapixel camera housed in the watch’s wrist strap. VentureBeat describes the Samsung Galaxy Gear as lightweight but somewhat dwarfing, with a “clunky” large wristband and quite a bit of bulk. Although VentureBeat wasn’t allowed to take pictures of the alleged prototype, it did manage to snag a few screengrabs from an internal promotional video — showing off the device’s camera, screen and touch menu system. The watch also is said to support Samsung S Voice commands as well as an assortment of pre-loaded health apps that include heart-rate and calorie monitors, as well a pedometer. Users can also take pictures of food and categorize it for later review.

Although the prototype seems to suggest that Samsung is marketing the device as a health accessory, those aforementioned features also fill the bill for a standard smartphone companion. VentureBeat also noted social media features, a functional call log and independent internet access via WiFi, meaning you should be use the watch without a smartphone if needed. The watch is also reportedly rated to last for more than ten hours on a single charge — a little shy in longevity if it’s your primary timepiece, but perhaps enough for a fitness-focused accessory. We’ll find out more when Samsung officially reveals the wearable on Wednesday, but if you’re itching for more info, check out the attached source for more images and VentureBeat’s own artistic rendition of the prototype.

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Source: VentureBeat

Samsung Galaxy Gear control app screens confirm NFC, other features

Samsung Gear Manager screens leak, show app management and more

Samsung already said that its Galaxy Gear smartwatch would launch on September 4th, but that doesn’t mean the leaks are over. Far from it — @evleaks just posted screenshots of Gear Manager, the smartphone app that will oversee Samsung’s wristwear. The images mostly corroborate details from past rumors, such as the SM-V700 model number, app support and NFC pairing. There are a couple of surprises, however. One shot mentions a “find my watch” tool, and another shows an abstracted representation of the Galaxy Gear itself — don’t read too much into that last picture, though. While we’d rather see the real smartwatch, this new leak may tide us over until the official Galaxy Gear unveiling next week.

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Source: @evleaks (Twitter)

Daily Roundup: HTC 8XT for Sprint, Windows 8.1 heads to manufacturers, Galaxy Gear, and more!

DNP The Daily RoundUp

You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.

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Samsung exec confirms Galaxy Gear and Note III announcement on September 4th as images start to leak (updated)

Samsung exec confirms Galaxy Gear and Note III announcement on September 4th as images start to leak updated

The cat’s out of the bag, and a rogue Samsung executive is the one who’s been untying the strings. During a chat with the Korea Times, Samsung’s Lee Young-hee blabbed that we’d see both the Galaxy Gear and the Galaxy Note III being announced at IFA on September 4th. The mobile VP added that the oft-rumored “wearable concept device” wouldn’t come with a flexible display and will be a companion gadget for your smartphone — but declined to offer any more detail about what we can expect from the flagship phablet. Never mind, however, because pictures purporting to be of the Galaxy Note III’s front have emerged over on HD Blog, and you can catch a full gallery down at the source.

Update: Here’s even more pictures purporting to be of the Note III from ETradeSupply. The site is claiming that the third generation device will measure in at 5.69-inches. [Thanks, Lucas]

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Via: SamMobile, Sonny Dickson

Source: Korea Times, HD Blog (translated)