What makes a smartwatch these days? Is it something that simply sits
on the wrist and buzzes when the phone does something in the pocket? A
fully-fledged phone it itself? Or, like the Galaxy Gear, something in
between?
We've got all kinds of devices pretending to be a
smartwatch, and there's definitely an interest from consumers, if not a
desire, for such a thing strapped to the wrist.
There was clamour
for the LG GD510, the real 'Dick Tracy' smartwatch that was essentially a
feature phone on a wrist, allowing you to make calls and send texts.
It was thoroughly rubbish as a phone replacement, yet sold out the world over.
And
then there's the Pebble, a watch that's meant to sit neatly next to
your smartphone and give notifications and extra information when needed
- a huge hit on Kickstarter, it's been met with tepid reviews yet the
makers still struggle to meet demand. So when Samsung, the world's biggest supplier of smartphones, makes a device that supplements the Galaxy Note 3 (and other devices soon) we should all sit up and take notice, right?
The
Gear is certainly an attractive device, a clever mix of metal and
rubber that gives it a really solid feel. It has to do that, as you'll
be forking out £299 or $299 (Around AUS$324) for the privilege of owning
one, although there are loads of deals out there to take some of the
money off if you buy it with a Note 3.
Given it won't function without it, you'd be a fool to pick up a Gear without a companion Samsung device.
Despite
also packing a 1.9MP camera, the Gear doesn't feel overly cumbersome on
the wrist. It's a little on the large side to accommodate the 1.6-inch
Super AMOLED 320 x 320 resolution screen, which means it will catch on
most clothing, but it's not in the realms of sports watches that runners
love to lug around on marathons. The
clasp is strong, so the fit is generally snug enough, although it can
get a little tight over the course of the day - but that's an issue most
watches struggle with. The problem there is that you can't change the
strap on the Gear as it has the camera stuck inside - so best make sure
it's a decent fit before purchase.
There's only one button on the
outside, which is the power / function key. A tap of this will turn the
device on, but a long press or double tap will also make the Gear
perform other tasks, which you can choose yourself. These are a little
limited, but we like that Samsung has tried to maximise the lack of
tappable space on the screen in this way.
We were a little
surprised by the method of charging: the Galaxy Gear comes with a
plastic case which you strap the watch into and plug a standard microUSB
cable into the back of. This means that you have to remember to bring
the charging case with you at all times, and can't rely on anyone having
a spare charger when caught short.
However, the addition of a
port on the watch would have likely increased size too much, so we like
this compromise. The case also comes with NFC connectivity, so when
pairing your Note 3 (or Galaxy S3, Galaxy S4 or Galaxy Note 2
in the coming weeks) you just tap the handset to the back of the case
and the pairing is taken care of simply, which again reduces heft in the
watch. Do
we like the design of the Galaxy Gear? It's a little chunky and the
screws on the front of the watch look like they're trying a little too
hard to make it look like an expensive wrist-watch... which we suppose
it is.
But Samsung needs to give a premium air for something that
costs so much to buy, so we'll say the design makes a lot of sense here.
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