The Samsung Gear S smartwatch with cellular connectivity is ready to make its debut in the U.S. next week, launching on Nov. 7.
The wearable device market is rapidly gaining momentum and there already are already plenty of attractive offers out there, but Samsung's Tizen OS-powered Gear S smartwatch stands out from the crowd thanks to its built-in 3G connectivity.
"Samsung continues to shape the wearable category with advanced technology and new experiences," Gregory Lee, President and CEO of Samsung Telecommunications America and Samsung Electronics North America Headquarters, said in the press release. "A growing developer ecosystem will further expand the capabilities of the Gear S with fitness tracking services like Nike+ Running and on-wrist turn-by-turn navigation from HERE maps and more."
The Samsung Gear S packs neat specs and features all around, including its curved AMOLED display, but it's the cellular connectivity that drew the most interest. Because it comes with built-in 3G connectivity, the Gear S can act independently, allowing users to take or make calls, send or receive text messages and other notifications, and go online even without necessarily having to pair the gadget with a 3G/4G smartphone or tablet. Typically, smartwatches and other smart devices are reliant on companion devices to offer such functionality.
The Gear S is not only Samsung's very first smartwatch that packs its own SIM card, but is also the company's first smartwatch to sport a virtual keyboard. The gadget comes with a 2-inch curved AMOLED display with a resolution of 380 x 480 pixels, a dual-core processor clocked at 1GHz, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage capacity, and a 300 mAh battery. Other features include active mobile data connection via SIM on 3G, QWERTY keyboard software, accelerometer, barometer, UV sensor, heart rate monitor, GPS, S-Voice, and IP67 rating for dust and water resistance.
As previously mentioned, the Samsung Gear S will be ready to make its official debut in the U.S. next week, as it hits commercial availability on Nov. 7. The smartwatch will go on sale in black and white color options from the four major U.S. carriers - AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless - as well as Best Buy's Samsung Experience Stores. Not all carriers will launch the device on Nov. 7, however. T-Mobile, for instance, has started accepting pre-registrations for now, and will start offering the smartwatch on Nov. 9. Specific pricing and availability will vary depending on carrier/retailer.
