Samsung Unveils Line of Gear 2 Smart Watches Featuring 'Tizen' Mobile Operating System

[Windlasher]

No, it's not pretty obvious at all: it's pretty obvious that health monitoring in smartwatches was an interesting idea long before Apple's rumors got wind: that's most likely Why Apple itself hired experts in that field in the first place.

Or more rudely said, it's pretty obvious that Apple is obsessively chasing after ideas which are already decedes' old and which have been or are being already implemented in actual products by at least half a dozen other companies. Some of these products most likely predate Apple's rumors too.

Samsung is not chasing Apple, is following the trend of smartwatches in general. This trend predates Apple's rumors and most likely "inspired" Apple to go in that direction too.

Stop trying to piss off Mac people. Nobody is saying that Apple invented anything or even that the products have not been around for a while. The race to the top is to see who does it better. The wheel has been around for quite a while now yet it doesn't stop tire companies from introducing new designs, treads every year after they figure out what works or an improvement. There were portable music played around for decades... The iPad topped them all. Thats just life.

 

[LiE_]

It needs to look good before it becomes acceptable as a wearable piece of tech. This is not.

 

[Zotaccian]

Apple will strike back because it has somehow managed to patent the consept of clock. I am also worried that it is rectangle with round corners

 

[gnasher729]

Does anyone know the address of samsungrumors.com?

Careful what you post. Apparently mentioning site that end in "rumours" and are not MacRumors is considered trolling by some moderators here.

 

[billystlyes]

It's great coming here everyday and seeing all the cool stuff come out from other companies. Apple just keeps coming out with the same crap anymore and it's become so boring. They need to come out with a new product or something bad. At the least, they could increase the size of the iPhone's screen. 4" is like so 4 years ago.

 

[gnasher729]

No, it's not pretty obvious at all: it's pretty obvious that health monitoring in smartwatches was an interesting idea long before Apple's rumors got wind: that's most likely Why Apple itself hired experts in that field in the first place.

I suggest you support this idea by posting some links with any mentions of the combination of smart watches and health monitoring, before reports of Apple doing this appeared. Many things are obvious, but not in hindsight.

Apart from that, an _idea_ might be obvious, but actually implementing it is a totally different matter. The idea that a watch on your wrist could contiuously measure your blood sugar level without putting tiny needles into your fingers is totally obvious to anyone who has diabetes. Building it is something totally different.

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It's great coming here everyday and seeing all the cool stuff come out from other companies. Apple just keeps coming out with the same crap anymore and it's become so boring. They need to come out with a new product or something bad. At the least, they could increase the size of the iPhone's screen. 4" is like so 4 years ago.

What "cool stuff" are you talking about? I see a "watch" that nobody with the slightest bid of taste would buy. We have been treated to Samsung ads that were straightly aimed at stalkers and weirdos. Apple could have easily released something better than the "Gear" watch. Which would have meant it would have been a slightly less bad flop.

 

[the-msa]

Actually this IR heart rate sensing technology has been around for a little while now.

so? does it become less interesting because of that?
i remember how apple-fans pissed themself like exited dogs because the 5s had a fingerprint sensor. was a fingerprint sensor something new? of course not, but apple has been doing it, so its something magical.

the heart rate sensor will a neat function to a device that many people have been waiting for and will make another piece of accessory redundant. we just have to see if it delivers as well.

HEY! I just found something else I don't need.

just wait until apple releases a watch. suddenly you'll be interested.

 

[ceva321]

Kudos for Samsung. They keep trying new things.

 

[mattlister]

The specifications and reviews mention that it doesn't have GPS?. Pretty useless for tracking walks, runs, cycling then, which should be a big feature of a smart watch.

Customers and developers need to trust and get used to this new OS as well.

 

[jouster]

......i remember how apple-fans pissed themself like exited dogs because the 5s had a fingerprint sensor. was a fingerprint sensor something new? of course not, but apple has been doing it, so its something magical......

As is often the case, it was Apple's excellent implementation that excited people. No one claimed they invented fingerprint sensors.

 

[jeffe]

I suggest you support this idea by posting some links with any mentions of the combination of smart watches and health monitoring, before reports of Apple doing this appeared. Many things are obvious, but not in hindsight.

Well when were the first reports of Apple doing health monitoring as part of there watch? I actually thought these functions were in the last Galaxy gear.

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The specifications and reviews mention that it doesn't have GPS?. Pretty useless for tracking walks, runs, cycling then, which should be a big feature of a smart watch.

Customers and developers need to trust and get used to this new OS as well.

Probably uses the phones GPS through BLE.

 

[the-msa]

As is often the case, it was Apple's excellent implementation that excited people. No one claimed they invented fingerprint sensors.

no one claims samsung invented the heart rate sensor. as for the implementation, no can yet tell how good or badly it is implemented.

 

[peterdevries]

It's not mainstream unless a certain proportion of consumers own one, and neither the Gear1 nor Gear2 has achieved that yet.

I should have been more clear. It is the mainstream segment that the product is aiming at that I was referring to. The watch is not targeted solely at the exercise or health monitoring segment, and that's why it is indeed interesting. Apparently (hopefully) the sensor technology behind the Gear watch is mature and accurate enough to replace hart-rate belts.

 

[iLondoner]

The description under the photograph has the watches the wrong way round, the Gear 2 Neo is on the left, the Gear 2 on the right.

.

 

[62tele]

It's always laughable that the "Samsung is so cool" trolls regularly attempt to haunt this site.
Samsung is cool because they offer larger screens? Phablets? Gimmicks are cool?

That watch is so ugly only the fashion challenged geekiest of the geek would wear it.

Samsung needs to invest in some folks who can design something innovative and then execute that design with clarity and functionality.

Samsung is a follower.

 

[Lone Deranger]

I'm loving these MAC RUMORS, guys.

Yeah, this place needs a Samsung/MS filter badly. Sounds like a great idea for a Safari extension.

 

[the8thark]

Does anyone know the address of samsungrumors.com?

I do.
www.macrumors.com
(Samsung) rumours and news you care about (and many you don't care about).

 

[kis]

Very much this.

Love my Samsung Washer and Dryer combo too. Don't hate their mobile devices, just not very impressed lately.

I don't even like their appliances. I'm a SoSo (Sony + Sonos) guy when it comes to home electronics. My washing machine and drier are both made by Bosch / Siemens. German engineering beats cheap Korean crap any day, if you ask me.

 

[mattlister]

Probably uses the phones GPS through BLE.

Makes the watch pretty pointless for fitness if you've still got to carry your phone around to get GPS.

And there are plenty of cheaper and better looking watches around, which monitor heart rate.

 

[kis]

Samsung is cool because they offer larger screens? Phablets?

Yeah, the Note 3 is considered to be the best smartphone money can buy by many people (myself included, just gone one from work last week and after having been a Samsung hater for years, I gotta say: they nailed it with that one).

 

[wikiverse]

It appears they just keep releasing new products based on apple rumors.

Or because of the Sony Watch, or the Pebble, or the dozen other 'smart' watches available on the market.

Samsung are trying to beat their competitors in the Android space, hence the collaboration with Intel and carriers to produce a standard watch OS.

Sometimes everything isn't about Apple.

I probably won't buy one because I have an iPhone and I don't wear a watch, but hooray for Samsung trying to build standardised products and improve user experience.

 

[BvizioN]

I am also worried that it is rectangle with round corners

Whatever shape it will be, is not gonna stop Samy to copy the ***** out of it.

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Yeah, the Note 3 is considered to be the best smartphone money can buy.

Serious question. How do you make phone calls on something that size (if you do)? Or you use Bluetooth paired earpiece?

 

[ohbrilliance]

Does anyone know the address of samsungrumors.com?

Yes, it's apple.com.

 

[cube]

Yes, it's apple.com.

I don't see any smartwatch there.

 

[Rogifan]

My issue is that they only target Samsung rumors. I have a Note 3 and have been following Android for years. This is just a fraction of the Android news. LG announced 2 phones last week and just yesterday Lenovo said that they will announce a tablet on Monday. During mobile congress this week we could see maybe 10 other smart watches from other Android OEM'S yet Macrumors only cherry pick Samsung.
And I rarely see any Windows Phones on Macrumors. I bet over 90% of you guys didn't even know that Nokia just released the Nokia Icon on Verizon. Most of you are only Apple lovers but I'm a gadget lover. Sucks to see news being targeted for click responses. Stick with Apple rumors or become a site like Engadget.

If one wants general tech news there are plenty of places to go - Engadget, cnet the. Verge, Ars Technica, The Next Web, BGR - just to name a few. Why would someone come to MacRumors for general tech news? The only reason it's is front page is because it's Samsung and will generate page views. Same thing will happen tomorrow when the new Galaxy is announced, because MR knows that thread will be flamewar heaven and easily get 500+ posts.

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Makes the watch pretty pointless for fitness if you've still got to carry your phone around to get GPS.

And there are plenty of cheaper and better looking watches around, which monitor heart rate.

Here's something I don't get with wearable devices. How can they get amazing battery life and basically perform as an independent device with most of the functionality of a smartphone? I'm assuming the reason most of them are mostly dumb on their own is to preserve battery life?