Hasta La Gadget!

In the midst of its numerous Unpacked Episode 2 unveilings, Samsung’s just given us a peek at a new piece of the Galaxy Note 3 puzzle: My Magazine. At a glance, it looks like a mashup between Flipboard’s curated magazine app and HTC’s Blinkfeed-infused homescreen. That’s not surprising given Samsung’s recent collaboration with Flipboard, and there are similarities with that app, like different panels for news feeds and deep social integration. You can access it by swiping up from the bottom, a new twist for Samsung — for a deeper plunge, check our Galaxy Note 3 preview post.

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Samsung

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Samsung’s Galaxy Note 3 isn’t the only pen-enabled announcement the company has today: there’s also an update on its tablet-scale model, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition. Fronted by a 2560 x 1600 LCD and packing 3GB of RAM, Android 4.3, and optional LTE, the Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition also gets all of […]

Samsung already dominates the Android smartphone market; now, the new Galaxy Gear smartwatch wants to own your wrist. A companion to the new Galaxy Note 3 – and, initially, the Note 3 only – with a 1.63-inch, 320 x 320 Super AMOLED touchscreen, the Galaxy Gear squeezes a 1.9 megapixel autofocus camera with 720p HD […]

The long awaited “smart watch” a.k.a. Samsung Galaxy Gear was finally unveiled today. I have to admit that I was impressed by the quality of the industrial design and the friendly user experience, although I am not sure if I would really use such a device on a daily basis. First of all the six color versions are gorgeous and the packaging of their respective boxes are amazing (check the photo gallery). Although the size of the watch module is pretty big and would better suit a man’s wrist, the adjustable band makes it wearable by a woman with a small wrist as well (like mine).

Powered by an 800 MHz processor and featuring a  1.63-inch 320 x 320 Super AMOLED tactile display,  the Samsung Galaxy Gear allows users to snap photos and short videos, record memos, access date/time/weather info, use various third-party applications including Evernote, Path, MyFitnessPal, get pedometer data, place a phone call, and more.

I had the opportunity to briefly try the Samsung Galaxy Gear and I am sharing my first impressions in this article. Check the video demo to get a good idea of how the device works.

The Samsung GALAXY Gear will be launched in more than 140 countries around the world starting from September 25.

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Samsung Galaxy Gear: Hands-On Review original content from Ubergizmo.

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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Filed under: Wearables, Samsung

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