Samsung's September 4 Unpacked event is nearly here and we're getting new information on the Galaxy Gear smartwatch, along with an image of a prototype of the device.
Samsung is getting ready to launch two highly-anticipated devices at its Unpacked event it will be holding on September 4 in Berlin and New York City. The company has already confirmed that it will unveil the Galaxy Note 3 phablet and the Galaxy Gear smartwatch. There have been multiple leaked images giving us an idea of what the Galaxy Note 3 will look like, and now images of the Galaxy Gear prototype and new details have leaked.
VentureBeat posted images of a Galaxy Gear prototype that Samsung has been sending to developers and select partners for testing. The site notes that the prototype images it posted don't mirror the final design, but claims, "it won't be far off." The smartwatch is pretty bulky and looks like a miniature Galaxy smartphone that has been strapped to a wrist.
The site also claims that the Galaxy Gear will come preloaded with applications, including Samsung S Voice for voice commands and apps for social media and health tracking. It will feature an easy-to-use swipe function to access apps and its built-in 4-megapixel camera. Users will also be able to initiate calls from the watch to a Samsung smartphone.
GigaOm is also reporting on some of the final specs and features of the Galaxy Gear. The site's sources claim that Samsung has "a different, more finished product " it will announce rather than the images of the leaked prototype. The smartwatch will use the latest 4.3 version of Android, with keyboard features turned off. It will not include a web browser as some reports have suggested and will use Bluetooth LE, which the site claims will allow the smartwatch to connect to other Bluetooth LE devices like the iPhone 5 and other Android devices.
The site's sources say that notifications will appear full screen, with icons on the top and two lines of text at the bottom. When it comes to battery life, the publication claims the smartwatch will have about 10 hours of use.
We'll be covering the event and will bring you the latest Galaxy Gear and Galaxy Note 3 details on September 4.
