Samsung announced that its Gear S smartwatch will be available this fall on all four major U.S. carriers: Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile. The sixth smartwatch released by Samsung in just over a year (after the Gear Fit, Gear 2 and Neo, Gear Live, and Galaxy Gear), the Samsung Gear S will be the company’s first to support calling, texting, and data without a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connection to a phone, according to Engadget.
A Watch as a Phone?
The inclusion of a SIM card slot has led to speculation that it will be able to function completely independent of a phone. However, that appears to be false, at least for AT&T users: “Gear S requires pairing [with] compatible Samsung smartphone with Gear Manager app for activation, software updates, and app downloads,” reads the fine print of an AT&T news release. Plus, the phone “must be on and connected to AT&T data network for SMS/MMS and 3rd party app notifications to be routed from AT&T smartphone to Gear S when Bluetooth connection is unavailable.”
So while the watch may not be a true standalone device, it can be used independently, provided the linked phone is left on and connected to the network. It is unclear if this restriction also pertains to calling, and if the Gear S will be covered under the same plan as the smartphone or if it will require additional fees.
The Hardware
Users can take calls on a Bluetooth-connected headset or the 3.5 mm audio jack, or on the watch’s loudspeaker. The watch can vibrate or ring for notifications and calls.
Gear S runs on the Tizen operating system and contains 4 GB of internal memory, though it does not have a SD card slot to add memory. It operates on 512 MB of RAM, with a dual core 1 GHz processor and a 300 mAh Li-ion battery. With an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance, Phone Arena reports that the Gear S can withstand being submerged in 3 feet of water for 30 minutes.
In terms of appearance, the screen is a curved, vivid Super AMOLED, and it is large: 360 by 480 pixels and two inches tall, according to specs from Samsung. It has a touchscreen that supports multitouch and will include a virtual keyboard. Users can choose between black and white bands.
Sensors
Samsung packed the Gear S with sensors, including an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a compass, a heart rate monitor, a barometer, an ambient light sensor, and a UV sensor. This model does not contain a camera. Exact pricing and availability dates have not been released yet.
Would you consider leaving your phone at home if you could receive calls on your Samsung Gear S smartwatch?
Image courtesy of Flickr
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