Tizen Samsung Gear S, 3G Smartwatch announced before IFA 2014

 
We were expecting the Tizen Gear S to be announced at the Samsung UNPACKED 2014 Episode 2 event scheduled for IFA 2014 next week, but Samsung have already announced it today. The Gear S was previously rumoured as the Samsung Gear Solo. A wearable device with 3G connectivity built in and a new rectangular shaped 2″ Super AMOLED curved screen (360 x 480), that uses screen optimised fonts, and promises to fit comfortably on the wrist. Main specs are a 1Ghz dual core processor, 512Mb RAM, 4Gb onboard storage (which will be enough for all your MP3’s), WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1 and a 300mah battery. See bottom of post for full specifications.

As expected the Gear S is IP67 water resistant and you can make and receive calls through any attached bluetooth headset, and you don’t need it attached to a Smartphone. Sensors include Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Heart Rate, Ambient Light, UV and Barometer. There is a qwerty keyboard present for replying to messages, but we don’t know if this is restricted to only the SMS application or if it is device wide. You can obviously use S-Voice to dictate messages if your in a not too noisy environment, but we have found the Gear 2 to be excellent in this regard.
 

 

 
This newer iteration of the Gear range not only has 3G, but also backs it up with Bluetooth and WiFi. On the software front It looks like the notification system will get an improvement through combined notification boards, and possibly better widgets, but that has not been shown off yet. We expect newer Apps from fitness companies like Nike, and also better offerings from PayPal, FaceBook and others.
The Gear S will feature bracelet and strap styles with the watch coming in blue, black and white and the straps in blue, red and mocha grey, but you can still use your own watch straps as they are Interchangeable.
 

 

“Samsung is leading this exciting and rapidly developing wearable category through progressive innovation,” said JK Shin, CEO and head of IT & mobile communication at Samsung Electronics. “The Samsung Gear S redefines the idea of the smart wearable and the culture of mobile communication. It will let consumers live a truly connected life anywhere, anytime.”

Samsung Gear S Specifications

 
No pricing details at the moment and Samsung will begin global rollout of the Samsung Gear S beginning in October 2014. Expect the Samsung Gear S to be featured at IFA 2014 next week.