News - Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch lanched at IFA

[HEXUS]

Samsung’s smartwatch works only as an accessory to other Galaxy devices.

Read more.

[sykobee]

I kinda expect more than one day battery life out of a watch, to be honest.

I think the Pebble has got it right, even if it's not as sexy.

Actually, this device isn't sexy at all, despite a colour screen, camera, and a dual-core 800MHz processor. Ridiculously overspecced for a companion device, and the battery life and size suffers.

[Myss_tree]

Wonder if these are going to increase in size (as phones have) until you end up with something on your arm similar in size to what the Predator wears in the Predator series of films?
That would of course be fine if it does the same things like blow up your crashed spaceship. ;-)

[MustardCutter]

Have we become a society of people that's too lazy to do something as effortless as reach into our pockets/bags to check our phones? What problem are these watches solving?

[madmaca]

But. Does it tell the time...?

[BiblicalShower]

Wonder if these are going to increase in size (as phones have) until you end up with something on your arm similar in size to what the Predator wears in the Predator series of films?
That would of course be fine if it does the same things like blow up your crashed spaceship. ;-)

Or a Pip-Boy 3000

[Spud1]

Well done Samsung for giving Apple the smartwatch Market.

That's how it looks from here anyway:

Very expensive - $300? There were enough complaints at the $90 Pebble started at ($150 now)

One day battery life with "reasonable" usage? That translates to less than a day for most people (equivalent to Pebble claiming 7+ days with reasonable usage, which in reality is just 3 days)

Touch screen on a watch? Apple will make the same mistake but it never works well on a screen that small (new nano, I'm Watch etc)

Colour screen? The tech isn't ready yet, it will just drink battery life and require a permanent backlight...

Camera? Really don't get the point of this one!

I know it's a new, developing market and my own views will be somewhat influenced by Pebble and having played with one of those awful I'm Watches, but still this is the general reaction I hear from people.

If there is one thing that Pebble has made clear is that there are a number of use-cases for smartwatches that work really really well. Notifications, light interactivity (e.g. reject a call when in a meeting from your wrist), second/ancillary display for Apps (runkeeper/Freecaddie). I went on holiday to Amsterdam this weekend and left mine behind - I felt cut off in the same way you do when you leave your phone at home..its not a nice feeling

We do need people to innovate and Samsung are trying to here (although the fact that I'm watch does 99% of this already means there is less innovation going on than you'd think from the marketing), but in my view this will be a bit of a failure.

As a starting point they should decide what it is - is this a companion device (And if so, to what?) or is it a standalone "phone" without the phone part?

I guess we'll see when they get around to releasing it..

[CampGareth]

Wonder if these are going to increase in size (as phones have) until you end up with something on your arm similar in size to what the Predator wears in the Predator series of films?
That would of course be fine if it does the same things like blow up your crashed spaceship. ;-)

I know I'd be fine with something closer to a wrist band, one of those really wide ones that reaches halfway up your forearm. Very glamrock/metal, probably wouldn't add any functionality though, just space for solar panels or something.

[Totalize]

The Qualcomm Toq looks a better bet.

However, these are all 1st gen devices. I'll wait for the 2nd or 3rd gen.

[neonplanet40]

Techradar had concept pictures up before the release which looks great. Curved screen etc. I think it is fugly as sin. Wouldn't put it anywhere near my arm. They are now claiming it is going to cost a bit more than many think. £250+

Fail from Samsung. Bare in mind that it currently only works with the Note 3 and Note 10.1 as well.

[deejayburnout]

Would be cool to have but wouldn't go and buy one. Too much for a watch IMHO.

Would also need charged every night just like my phone. My bedside table just isn't that big for all my gadgets as it is.