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Samsung Unveils $299 Galaxy Gear Smart Watch With One-Day Battery Life

The breakthrough in smart watches in the 21st century will be biosensors and medical/health apps. This thing is just an Android phone attached to a strap with a crapy battery and insane price. What an absolute joke
 
vampireszombies said:
At the end of the presentation of the Smart gear he said that it IS compatible with S3, S4, Note II as well with updates coming to those devices in October.
The article should mention this.
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Has to do with Android 4.3 - which those older devices are supposed to be getting in October.
 
tumtumtum said:
The breakthrough in smart watches in the 21st century will be biosensors and medical/health apps. This thing is just an Android phone attached to a strap with a crapy battery and insane price. What an absolute joke
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This is true, and it makes me wonder why Samsung didn't go this route. People have already created biosensors that easily fit into thin, plastic bracelets. Adding one along the armband wouldn't have made it any thicker, and would make for a far more useful smartwatch when coupled with a relatively easy to make app.
 
Wow, the title should have just read, "Calling all Apple fanboys/girls!"
I love the posts comparing this to the iWatch. What iWatch? Oh right, no iWatch, yet.

What I did was saw the video and didn't quite think it ran smooth enough for me to get excited. You know, before I shouted how awesome Apple is and how much Samsung sucks. Wait, I wouldn't do that either because I don't seem to care.

To me, this doesn't hit home. Can Apple do better? We'll see.
 
I think it should be closer compared to the MSN Spot Watches circa 2003

weather.jpg
 
Only one thing worries me: how will people choose between the Gold and the Beige?
 
my biggest problem with the smartwatch is the camera.

WHO THE HECK WOULD WANT TO TAKE A PIC WITH THEIR WATCH VS THEIR PHONE?

that is god smacking ridiculous. it sounds like it's made for shady people who want to take secret photographs.
 
Renzatic said:
Just because it's obvious now in retrospect doesn't mean that first poster wasn't innovative! :mad:

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Fugly is in the eye of the beholder.
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I think this is why Samsung released it, despite the fact its a piece of crap. I don't think they feel they could compete with Apple toe-to-toe in the market and therefore had to resort to being able to claim FIRST.

What's going to end up happening is it won't matter. Apple, if they play it right, will release a smart watch with at least ONE killer feature - something no one would think to use a smart watch for, but that we all want and think we need (in addition to many of the standard smart watch features, though I don't think an app store/apps are a part of that).

Give me a smart watch that:

-Acts as a "passcode" for my phone so that when the watch is close to the phone, I don't have to unlock my device. The watch would know its me via biometric sensors.

-Has NFC or provides QR codes via Passbook on my iPhone so I can use the watch as my method of payment, NOT my phone. Swiping my wrist is a more efficient wallet replacement than pulling out my phone.

-Helps me keep track of my device. For instance if the watch is out of range of the phone it sets of a little alarm that tells me I've left my phone somewhere. Could even incorporate GPS tracking. Would work with Find My iPhone as well. Could also deter thieves in that, if you set it this way, the phone wouldn't work without the watch and vice versa. Double-layer security.

-Incorporates health features - heart monitor, step tracker, GPS map, iTunes match and bluetooth.

-Shows general notifications (number of emails, messages, phone calls missed, maybe gives me the weather or similar output like "Today" in iOS7). I don't have to be able to READ them all on the watch - and why the heck would I want to?

-Is of course a watch with customizable faces and styles for the face as well as the bands.

THAT would be an innovative, SMART watch.

Credit for these ideas goes to a former Apple employee and Human Interface Designer. Read the article here: https://www.macrumors.com/2013/02/0...erface-developer-speculates-on-future-iwatch/
 
Much has been said

already, but I have to tell you. I just watched a few hands-on videos and I really thought it was a joke. All negative things said here are true.

But let me say this: If Apple manages to build a watch that runs at least a minimal iOS version, developers will go crazy to build watchfaces, calendar designs, twitter notifications and so forth.

If Apple really pulls this of and it ONLY uses bluetooth low energy, lasts for 3 days and has a minimal SDK a swear that EVERYONE who has ever touched an iPhone WILL buy Apple's watch.

If this runs a half decent version of iOS and is programmable, I'd even by it for $349, just for kicks.
 
The Deepness said:
I haven't worn a watch since I was in the Army at Fort Bragg (early 2000s), and then I was only willing to spend $20-$30 on a minimally intrusive, basic time piece that I wouldn't mind getting smashed up on a jump. $300?? For a companion device??? No, thanks! A person would have to be pretty stupid to spend that much on a "smart" watch that, by itself, isn't even that smart.

If Apple does release a smartwatch as a companion iDevice, I can only imagine that it will be much better conceived than the Gear. And considering that the iPod Shuffle and iPod Nano (both stand-alone devices) cost $49 and $149 respectively, I can't see Apple's smartwatch costing more than $99.
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I disagree.

A watch is a watch, so if Apple will come up with a watch for 99 dollars then I'll not be interested because it can't be a "revolutionary" device for such amount of money i.m.h.o. I'm talking about a device and not about a watch because I think we all agree that "just" a watch is not something where geeks or Apple fans (me included) are waiting for...

I also agree that this samsung watch is very ugly. Not only because it's ugly i.m.h.o. which is just my opinion but it's also just a watch with something extra's.

Any watch from Apple cheaper then this and a bit nicer would't interest me at all. I'm only interested in an Apple "watch" if:

- it doesn't look like a watch
- it contains some truly new techniques
- it make use of your wrist in total, so it will fit in a way that would feel different, not just a device on top and a plastic thing to keep it together.
- it will be "just as good with the on board capabilities as it's other devices. Example: if it has an on board camera, then it should be just as good as an iPhone camera. Else you will end up with something worse, why shooting a picture with bad quality when having your iPhone with you as well. And most apple users do have an iPhone...

And this all is worth more then 99 bucks. I wouldn't mind spend 200 bucks, but it should be good. I'm not willing to pay 99 or less for something that can do lot's of things much worse when compared with my iPhone.
 
I reckon Apple should start "leaking" more details about possible products so that Samsung goes broke trying to copy them before they have been released.

Sorry Samsung, false rumour...
 
Real Design Innovation at its Best! NOT!

It looks Korean. Like these Korean couches...You get them home. The next day, your like. Eeew!
 

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Watch Camera is Perfect for...

I think a watch camera would be perfect for people like Anthony Weiner perhaps. :)

FrozenDarkness said:
my biggest problem with the smartwatch is the camera.

WHO THE HECK WOULD WANT TO TAKE A PIC WITH THEIR WATCH VS THEIR PHONE?

that is god smacking ridiculous. it sounds like it's made for shady people who want to take secret photographs.
Click to expand...
 
24 hours battery life?

Yeah, right! NOT!

Just like any other 'estimated' battery life item from Samsung, this is the most ideal estimate under the least used conditions..

Probably closer to 7-8 hours with moderately-heavy use.
 
This is what I hate about tech companies sans Apple. The constant need to feed the beast (e.g. the tech press that needs something shiny and new every day) and just throw stuff at the wall to see what sticks. There's no thoughtful consideration, just the mad rush to get something out before the competition even if you have no idea what the competition might be doing. If Samsung had employed thoughtful consideration and wasn't so concerned about getting something to market before Apple and Google, they would have shelved this product until they could produce something that wasn't so bulky, got better battery life, didn't require a companion device and was cheaper. I'm convinced we haven't seen an "iWatch" yet because Apple is trying to do something different, something that isn't like what's already on the market. And rather than release something that's not ready they have no problem starving the beast even if it means they get the "no innovation" tag from the media.
 
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