Samsung today announced the Galaxy Gear, a smartwatch that serves as an accessory to smartphones such as the Galaxy Note 3.
The Gear has a 1.63-inch touch screen, 800MHz processor with 512MB of RAM, and uses Bluetooth 4.0LE to communicate with the Note 3. The Gear includes a 1.9-megapixel camera and a speakerphone, both of which are embedded in the wristband. The camera can record 720p HD video, and images and video are synced to the Note 3 for safekeeping.
The Gear runs Android from Google, but uses a unique user interface from Samsung that permits users to swipe from screen to screen and from app to app. The Gear runs several native apps, such as pedometer and clock, and also interacts with the Note 3. When paired with a smartphone, it can be used to place phones, view rich notifications, and interact with Samsung’s S Voice app. The Gear runs third-party apps as well, and will ship with several from the likes of eBay, Evernote, RunKeeper, TripIt, and others.
The Galaxy Gear will go on sale after September 25 for $299.
