News & Reviews:   Samsung Galaxy Gear

Samsung Malaysia recently dropped off the Samsung Galaxy Gear 2 smartwatch for us to check out and we started it out with an unboxing video which you can see below. As it is, the Gear 2 remains one of the most feature filled smartwatches currently in the market, complete with a heart rate sensor, IRLED sensor, 2MP camera and IP67 water resistance certification. Stay tuned for more hands-on videos and the full review but for now, do check out the unboxing video below:

• 1GHz Dual Core Processor
• 1.63-inch Super AMOLED display (320 x 320 pixel resolution)
• 512MB RAM
• 4GB storage
• 2MP camera (auto focus, 720p at 30fps video recording)
• 36.9 x 58.4x 10.0 mm | 68g
• 300 mAh battery
• features heart rate sensor, pedometer, Bluetooth 4.0 LE, IrLED sensor, Noise Cancellation
• IP67 Certified Dust and Water Resistant
• Charcoal Black, Gold Brown and Wild Orange

The current Samsung Galaxy Gear range of smartwatches are companion devices, designed to work with a compatible smartphone. However, it turns out that we could be getting a standalone 3G capable smartwatch from Samsung soon and that it may be called the Gear Solo. Apparently the Samsung Gear Solo name has already been filed for patent at the Korean Intellectual Property Office. No other tech specs or Malaysia release dates were available but we expect it to come first to South Korea and maybe get a global release soon afterwards. Hopefully we won't get another small smartphone on our wrist or a smartwatch that will only last a day. Stay tuned for more updates.

Apart from the Samsung Galaxy S5, Samsung Malaysia also revealed their Samsung Galaxy Gear 2 smartwatch and Samsung Gear Fit smartband. Previously, the Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch had major issues with compatibility, but not so with these two new wearable devices as Samsung Malaysia prove with an extensive device compatibility list which you can see in this article.

On top of some impressive tech specs and new hardware features the Samsung Galaxy S5 apparently has a baby monitor feature built-in. Unlike a typical 'S' app the feature can be found under the Hearing sub-menu. If your child cries the Galaxy S5 will vibrate, which seems rather redundant at first. However, the function is supposed to be used in tandem with the Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch which makes more sense for those parents who sleep in separate bedrooms from their children or who tend to sleep through the loudest of noises regardless.

The Samsung Galaxy Gear 2, Galaxy Gear 2 Neo and Gear Fit smartwatches and smartband were recently revealed at the MWC 2014 with many hoping that the pricing would be somewhat more affordable than the previous Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch. As it turns out, pricing could actually be the same or higher, but with a wider range to choose from this time around. Rumours from Sam Mobile indicate that the Samsung Galaxy Gear 2 could cost 299 Euros (RM1343), while the Galaxy Gear 2 Neo and the Gear Fit could go for 199 Euros (RM894) each. With the original Samsung Galaxy Gear already costing RM999, this dashes our hopes of a more affordable smartwatch alternative, but the price could change when it comes to Malaysia. No specific Malaysia release dates were mentioned but we'll find out soon enough (probably with the Samsung Galaxy S5 launch in Malaysia).

At the ongoing MWC 2014, Samsung revealed their next generation smartwatches the Samsung Galaxy Gear 2 and the Samsung Galaxy Gear 2 Neo. Major differences with the original Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch include the fact that both new smartwatches are running Tizen, Samsung's mobile operating system and the fact that the camera has been moved to the chassis and not the strap. A new IrLED blaster lets you control your TV and other devices. Both smartwatches have more or less the same tech specs and features except that the Galaxy Gear 2 Neo doesn't have any camera. Check out the Samsung Galaxy Gear 2 and Galaxy Gear 2 Neo tech specs below:

• Samsung Galaxy Gear 2
• 1GHz Dual Core Processor
• 1.63-inch Super AMOLED display (320 x 320 pixel resolution)
• 512MB RAM
• 4GB storage
• 2MP camera (auto focus, 720p at 30fps video recording)
• 36.9 x 58.4x 10.0 mm | 68g
• 300 mAh battery
• Supports heart rate sensor, pedometer, Bluetooth 4.0 LE, IrLED sensor, Noise Cancellation
• IP67 Certified Dust and Water Resistant
• Charcoal Black, Gold Brown and Wild Orange

According to recent rumours, the Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch could be getting a refresh at the upcoming Mobile World Congress 2014 set to happen at the end of the month. What is really interesting is that instead of the Android operating system it is using, the new refresh could be using Samsung's Tizen operating system. Both Android and Tizen are designed to be scaled down to devices with limited hardware but Tizen seems to be something Samsung could be more familiar with. No news if the refresh could also mean a pricing refresh as well but many are expecting the Samsung smartwatch to make it's appearance at the Unpacked event coming up soon as it would make a good companion device to the Samsung Galaxy S5.

The Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch offers the most amount of features around but one of the main reasons it didn't really take off in Malaysia was it's RM999 price tag. Recently Samsung cut down the price of the Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch in India down to $120 (RM397), with the original initial pricing set at an even higher $365 (RM1208). Samsung has not given any official announcement on a global cut-down in pricing for markets like Malaysia yet but since India got it, China, Malaysia and other Asian markets will probably follow soon after. The price cut is also indicative of what could be coming as well, as many are expecting the Samsung Galaxy Gear 2 smartwatch or S Band bracelet to be revealed in 2014. No specific Malaysia release dates just yet, but we're expecting it to come in or after the end of February 2014.

A Korean report recently quoted a Samsung spokesperson who hinted that we may soon see a pair of Samsung smartglasses, ahead of the consumer version of Google Glass, which has already come out for developers and first-time adopters. According to the report, we could see the still-unnamed Samsung smartglasses at the latest IFA which should be happening around September 2014. The report says that the Samsung Smartglasses will have the same functions as the Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch, although we hope it won't have the same crippling battery life and compatibility limitations. Below is the exact quote from the report:

It will be interesting to see which companies get better stakes in the race for smart glasses. Players definitely want to enjoy a ‘first-mover’ advantage in this new and highly lucrative market [...]

Wearable devices can’t generate profits immediately. Steady releases of devices are showing our firm commitment as a leader in new markets …

While the Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch probably offers the most in terms of functionality for any smartwatch currently on the market one of it's main limitations was that it only works with certain Samsung smartphones. This short compatibility list included the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, Note 2, S4 and S3 with Android 4.3 firmware. However, this is no longer the case as Smart Watch Fans have come up with a guide showing how to make the Galaxy Gear smartwatch work with a Nexus 5 smartphone. It may require you to download some files, extract them and rename them, but there isn't any arduous programming or too-technical stuff to do to make it work. Do bear in mind that most of the apps work, except for S-Voice and Weather. Other smartwatch fans are saying that they have also made the Galaxy Gear work with the Sony Xperia Z Ultra, provided that it is the pure vanilla Google Edition version.