Hasta La Gadget!

On Sunday a cache of images of the Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch were leaked. People weren’t impressed, some even called it downright ugly. The report accompanying those images said that it was a unit that Samsung had sent out to select developers and partners. While it was said that the unit is a prototype, the report claimed it was quite similar to the final version that Samsung unveils on September 4th. People in the loop claim that Samsung has a different and more “finished” unit that it will unveil at the event, if you weren’t impressed by what you saw on Sunday, you might want to give Samsung’s smartwatch another chance, if this report turns out to be true.

It is also said that the Galaxy Gear does not have a built in web browser. Android 4.3 is said to be on-board with the keyboard features disabled. It is expected to have Bluetooth LE, which means that Galaxy Gear will be able to work with smartphones that support Bluetooth LE. Apparently the smartwatch can be used to make phone calls as well. It was said on Sunday that the smartwatch will have Wi-Fi as well, the latest report suggests that it will have to be tethered to a phone to access the internet. Samsung has already confirmed that it will unveil Galaxy Gear on September 4th, so even if these rumors don’t paint a complete picture of the device, find solace in the fact that the official announcement is merely a couple of days away.

Leaked Galaxy Gear Images Reportedly Don’t Hint At Final Design original content from Ubergizmo.

Samsung is going to unveil a brand new smartwatch next month, there’s no doubt about that. The company has already confirmed that it will be unveiling the Galaxy Gear smartwatch alongside the Galaxy Note 3 on September 4th. While there have been many rumors about the company’s new wearable gadget, not much is known about its specifications. Apparently sources working at Samsung Warehouse in Texas have leaked Galaxy Gear’s specifications to AmongTech. Since the information comes from an unofficial source, its best to take all of this with a grain of salt.

The Galaxy Gear is said to have a 1.5GHz dualcore processor with 1GB of RAM, an accelerometer, a 2.5 inch OLED touchscreen display that offers 320×320 resolution, a 4 megapixel camera that can record 720p video, Bluetooth 4.0, Android Jelly Bean and speakers in its strap. Two models of this smartwatch will reportedly be offered, one with 8GB and the other with 6GB on-board storage. 10 hours of battery life has also been rumored. There’s obviously no way to confirm if these specifications are true, for that we must wait until Samsung’s event on September 4th. Pricing and availability information has not been rumored right now, previous rumors suggest that the release might take place in October.

Samsung Galaxy Gear Specifications Allegedly Leaked original content from Ubergizmo.

It has been rumored time and again that Apple is working on its very own wearable gadget. The company is expected to release a smartwatch which many currently refer to as the iWatch. The device is believed to be fitness focused, and while there have been rumors that claim it will be released this year, many analysts are of the view that it won’t come out until next year. According to a new report from Digitimes, the iWatch will be released in the second half of 2014 and will be priced between $149 to $229.

If you follow the Apple rumor cycle you’ll be familiar with this source, it has a hit or miss track record. An analyst at CIMB Group has been cited in this report, who claims that Apple will place 60 percent of the orders for iWatch with Inventec. He also believes that customers will primarily purchase the smartwatch to replace their iWatch. Rumors about the iWatch intensify as Samsung gears up to launch its own smartwatch, the Galaxy Gear, next month. An executive at the company has already confirmed that. Analysts and consumers both expected Apple to retaliate with its own wristwatch, but the company is yet to drop any hint regarding its plans for a wearable gadget.

iWatch Price Between $149-229, Release Expected In Second Half Of 2014 original content from Ubergizmo.

Apple’s virtual personal assistant, Siri, now takes a rather humorous swing at Google Glass. Saying “Okay Glass” to Siri will make the virtual assistant return four humorous responses at the expense of Google Glass. “Okay Glass” is actually the phrase that is used to invoke Google Glass, the origins of this phrase are explained in detail here.

The four responses are as follows: “Stop trying to strap me to your forehead. It won’t work,” “I think that Glass is half empty,” “I’m not Glass. And I’m just fine with that” and “Glass? I think you’ve got the wrong assistant.” Its unclear if Apple plans on adding more phrases to the list, these four seem to suffice though. Apple naturally won’t be too excited about Glass. Apple CEO Tim Cook said earlier this year that he doesn’t believe Google Glass will turn out to be a mass-market item. According to him, the wrist is a more natural place for wearable gadgets. There have already been a lot of rumors about Apple working on its own wearable gadget, the iWatch as it is commonly known. Nevertheless, Google has stirred up a lot of hype for Glass but we’ll only know how it performs in the market once the retail version goes on sale next year. [Image via AppleInsider]

Siri Takes A Humorous Swing At Google Glass original content from Ubergizmo.

There are two kinds of companies that are working on smartwatches. Companies with deep pockets, billions in R&D funds such as Samsung, Apple and Microsoft. Then there are companies that require crowdfunding to bring their ideas and concepts such as the Pebble smartwatch, HOT Watch, Agent and TrueSmart to life. LG is one that doesn’t need crowdfunding. Dimitar Vulex, manage of mobile products at LG Bulgaria, said in an interview that the company will release a smartwatch next year.

Vulex said that LG’s main focus will remain on smartphones. He adds that the company wants to make smartphones even bigger than they are right now, and that LG will launch a phablet which will be larger than the LG G2, the company’s latest Android flagship device. He also revealed LG’s tablet plans, saying that the company will enter the market once again next year. A Firefox OS smartphone has also been added to the list of devices LG will release in 2014. Vulex didn’t reveal any specific details about the LG smartwatch. He didn’t say when the gadget will be released next year. LG’s Korea based rival Samsung is expected to launch its smartwatch next month, presumably at its Galaxy Note 3 event which takes place at the IFA conference in Berlin.

LG Smartwatch To Release In 2014 original content from Ubergizmo.