The Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch has a launch date in Canada, as Best Buy has announced it is now accepting pre-orders and will launch the device on Oct. 4 for $299.
Samsung is getting a jump-start on its rivals by launching its first Android-based smartwatch. The Galaxy Gear runs Android 4.3 Jelly Bean and can be paired with the Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Note 10.1 to allow users to interact with the devices from their wrists. Samsung has announced that it will be releasing a software update for the Galaxy S4, Galaxy S3, and Galaxy Note 2 in the near future that will enable the handsets to work with the Galaxy Gear as well.
Since the Galaxy Gear runs Android, users will be able to not only interact with Samsung smartphones and tablets, but also to run apps made for the smartwatch. Samsung claims there will be about 70 applications available at launch and users will be able to download them through the Galaxy Gear's dedicated app store.
The Galaxy Gear features a 1.63-inch 320 x 320 Super AMOLED display and runs a modified version of Android 4.3. It uses a single-core 800MHz Exynos processor with 512MB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage. It has a 1.9-megapixel camera with autofocus built into its strap and is capable of recording full HD video. It includes NFC, Bluetooth 4.3 LE, gyroscope, pedometer, and accelerometer. It is packing a 315 mAh battery that Samsung says will be provide enough power to last a full day of "regular use." The Galaxy Gear uses Samsung's S Voice to allow users to issue voice commands to the smartwatch to create new alarms, dictate new messages, initiate phone calls, and more.
Best Buy is currently accepting pre-orders for the Galaxy Gear and is charging $299.99 for the device, listing a release date of Oct. 4. The retailer does note that it has limited availability, so if you're looking to pick up the smartwatch on launch day, you may want to place your order now.
