Samsung Electronics has unveiled their Galaxy Gear smartwatch, pricing it at $299, but will people actually the Inspector-Gadget-esque gizmo?
There are tech geeks out there who are dying to get their hands on the smartwatch, but the practically of the item is still left to be questioned.
Yes, the smartwatch will be able to make phone calls, surf the web and take photos, Bloomberg reports. However, so can any smartphone on the market, and considering the Galaxy Gear is the first of its kind, I believe it is safe to say it won't run as well as your Android phone. (I'll eat my words if the watch doesn't have any technological flaws, but for now I will remain cynical.)
"The Gear weighs 74 grams (2.6 ounces), is available in six colors -- including orange, gold and lime green -- and has an ultra-thin screen using organic light-emitting diode, or OLED, technology," Bloomber reports. "It has a fitness tracker and works with about 70 applications, according to Samsung. The device has a 4-gigabyte internal memory and 512 megabytes of RAM. It links wirelessly to a user's smartphone to make calls."
The Galaxy Gear will also have a 1.63-inch (4.1-centimeter) screen and 1.9-megapixel camera. The iPhone arguably has one of the best camera phones on the market, and its 8-megapixel, just to put things into perspective.
Well, we must at least give credit to Samsung for beating Apple to the tech-watch punch. For months, rumors have been swirling on the Internet of an iWatch (how clever, Tim Cook) due to the company filing for trademark protection in June, according to Bloomberg. Apple does have a press conference planned for Sept. 10, where people believe the company will be unveiling their newest iPhone, but they could be dishing out details about the rumored iWatch.
However, unless Apple plans on releasing the watch on Sept. 25, then Samsung's Galaxy Gear will be the first on the market. Now one question remains: will people BUY the gadget?
Back when the first tablet was released, many people saw no need for it since most already owned a smartphone and a laptop. Fast forward to about three years later, you will see someone whip out their iPad on the train or while you're ordering your Starbucks. Smartwatches may be the next technological case.
"Device makers like smartwatches because they are personal devices that are highly visible to consumers," Neil Mawston, an executive director at Strategy Analytics, told Bloomberg News. "If you see your friend wearing a cool smartwatch on their wrist, you will probably want one, too."
Touché, Mawston. Will you buy the Galaxy Gear or the rumored iWatch? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.
