Samsung will launch the Galaxy Gear smartwatch on September 4 and new details about how the device's hardware and software will function have now surfaced.
The smartwatch area is expected to be an important market for some of the biggest technology companies in the world. Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Samsung are rumored to be working on wearable technology gadgets and it looks like Samsung will get an early lead on its rivals. The company is expected to announce its Galaxy Note 3 phablet and Galaxy Gear smartwatch on September 4 at an Unpacked event Samsung is holding in Berlin. A new report gives us more insight on how the smartwatch will function.
Gigaom is reporting having learned from sources that Samsung will use square high quality OLED displays that "show full spectrum of colors." The display is said to be around 2.5-inches, will reportedly be powered by a dual-core processor and, as earlier reports have claimed, will have a 320 x 320 resolution display. The Galaxy Gear will also include a camera that is integrated into the strap of the watch and built-in speakers in the clasp of the device. It will also include NFC to allow for "bump-to-sync and authenticate" and will use Bluetooth 4.0 LE to connect to smartphones and tablets.
The site claims that there will be a built-in accelerometer that will automatically turn the display on when a user moves the watch towards the eye. We have already seen Samsung use similar features in the Galaxy S4, pausing video when a user looks away from the display and also scrolling web pages by staring at the screen and tilting the smartphone. The display will also allow users to use different gestures to interact with the Galaxy Gear.
The Galaxy Gear is believed to be running Android 4.1 or Android 4.2 and will run Samsung-made applications that will be available for download from Samsung's app store instead of Google Play. The smartwatch will sync with the company's Galaxy smartphones and tablets, but it's not yet clear how the device will work with non-Samsung devices. The site describes how the Galaxy Gear will handle and display notifications on its own and on smartphones and tablets.
"For instance, if one has swiped through notifications, stops at an email blurb and then picks up the smartphone, the phone will display that email message attached to the blurb you were looking at on the watch."
The site suggests that the watch will also include Samsung's S-Health apps and will "have enough sensors that it can start to compete with wearable computing devices such as the Nike Fuelband."
We'll have to wait until September 4 for the official details from Samsung, but it certainly sounds like the company has some big plans for the Galaxy Gear.
