To suggest that Samsung’s Galaxy Gear didn’t receive the critical raves that the South Korean manufacturer had hoped for would risk understatement. There are a number of things lacking from the device which many have labeled essentially useless; this includes the fact that the watch could only be tethered to Samsung’s latest “phablet,” the Galaxy Note 3, which was unveiled on the same day.
Samsung’s additional devices connectivity
Reviewers worldwide have struggled to label the Galaxy Gear a “smartwatch,” but today saw Samsung add a number of devices that could connect to the Galaxy Gear device. Through am Android Jelly Bean update, the firm’s flagship Galaxy is now allowed to connect to the watch along with the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2.
Essentially, the Galaxy Gear simply brings text message and email alerts to your wrist. It doesn’t do much more with the exception of bringing a camera to the table. In addition, Samsung announced that it was working on Bluetooth connectivity for its Galaxy S4 Mini, Galaxy S4 Active, Mega 5.8, Mega 6.3, and Galaxy S4 Zoom. These additions will be provided by month’s end via Samsung’s Touchwiz user interface (UI), as opposed to an upgrade to the Android mobile operating system.
Galaxy Gear Smartwatch advantages
The Galaxy Gear Smartwatch was unveiled last month at IFA in Berlin as a “companion device that makes mobile communication easier and more enjoyable.”
For women with large purses, the device nearly makes sense. It saves you the trouble of digging through a bag every time your phone alerts you to a new message. That said, as a man, I can’t imagine any point in my life where I would spend upwards of $300 to simply save me the trouble of reaching in my pocket or glancing at the table when my phone is out.
The Galaxy Gear is powered by an 800MHz processor with 512MB of RAM. The device includes no social media integration and that has been the primary complaint of most reviewers.
Additionally, the Galaxy Gear has a horrible battery life of roughly 24 hours. That essentially makes it imperative to charge it every night. The watch also requires a phone coupled to it at all times and is no more than a timepiece without one.
The Galaxy Gear is not going to change your life. It will, however, now connect to other Samsung devices you might own.
