There has been enough talk and hot air about the pending smartwatch market -- it's time for the world's leading mobile tech makers to show what they've got.
As promised last week , Samsung is stepping up to the plate first, finally unveiling its own high tech-infused entry at IFA 2013 in Berlin.
See also: CNET live blog: Samsung Unpacked at IFA 2013 | Wearable computing: Is there a real market? | Broadcom tapping into wearable tech market with new Wi-Fi framework
After images of the digital wristband leaked prior to the announcement, it was immediately clear that not everyone was terribly enamored just yet .
There's also a big caveat: The Gear will only work with the other two devices unveiled at IFA today: the Galaxy Note 3 and Note 10.1 tablet.
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Let's take a closer look anyway, by the numbers and features:
- 800 MHz processor
- 1.63-inch Super AMOLED display with 320 x 320 resolution
- 1.9-megapixel built-in camera with an auto-focus lens; Can record 720p videos for up to 10 seconds
- 4GB of internal memory
- 512 MB of RAM
- Bluetooth v 4.0 ＋ BLE
- Sensors: Accelerometer, Gyroscope
- Dimensions: 36.8 x 56.6 x 11.1 mm
- Weight: 73.8g
- Li-ion 315mAh standard battery; Advertised to last approximately 25 hours before needing a charge
- Designed to operate as a companion device (i.e. displays SMS notifications from paired smartphone, enables users to control music settings, etc.)
- S Voice: Can make and receive calls, draft text messages, create new calendar entries, set alarms, check the weather, and write voice memos
- Pedometer: Tracks physical activity thanks to a built-in sensor; Automatically monitors users and tracks personal data such as calories burned, steps taken and distance covered
- Find My Device: Helps users find the location of their smart devices when lost (or stolen) by making them beep, illuminate and vibrate.
- Auto Lock: Security feature that automatically secures the companion smartphone screen any time that the Gear is more than 1.5 meters away from the smartphone, and then unlocks the smartphone when the companion device is nearby again
- Outfitted in a tasty assortment of colors: Jet Black, Mocha Gray, Wild Orange, Oatmeal Beige, Rose Gold, and Lime Green
- 70 apps are promised to be ready at launch time; Third-party apps include Evernote, eBay, Path, TripIt and Pocket, among others
- Pre-loaded with 10 different clock options; More choices will be downloadable via Samsung Apps
- Ships on September 25 in 149 countries worldwide along with Galaxy Note 3
- Will retail for $299 in the United States
For a closer look at the Samsung Galaxy Gear, check out the CNET hands-on review below:
Screenshots via Samsung
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