Galaxy Gear, proof of smartwatch Samsung - Wired.it

promises to rivoluzionarti existence, but it might be smart. An interesting attempt, but the category has yet to give their best

Posted

Price: 299 €. Rating: 7
More information: Samsung

Whether you follow it or not the world of technology, it is unlikely that the name Galaxy Gear sent to you again. Samsung is bombarding the web, TV and print media advertising with its smartwatch, the first category to have received a promotional coverage so consistent. According to the Korean short the time has come to allacciarci the future of the wrist: but is it really?

Galaxy Gear looks like a clock slightly hypertrophic . The dial contains a brushed aluminum AMOLED display (320 x 320 pixels) from 1.63 “diagonal that alone is enough to make the product cumbersome, and the space occupied dalo screen then we need to add the internal components, the camera, the ‘speaker and the battery needed to keep it in the function. The result is that the Korean smartwatch does not go unnoticed on the wrist does not weigh too much, but does not disappear even so easily under the sleeve.

Gear works in tandem with the Galaxy Note and the Galaxy S4 3: communication is via Bluetooth, pairing is done only once, lasts a few seconds and occurs via NFC. After this stage you have only to tell the Gear which type of watch do you prefer to display (digital, analog, with or without weather) and which notifications you want to receive from the phone. Then you’re ready to connect it. The interface is extremely simple to use and requires just a quarter of an hour of practice .

When you get a notification to your smartphone, Gear rings or vibrates. Raise your pulse and thanks to the accelerometer turns on by itself, displaying what has just happened. An email, a text message, a message on Facebook: you can choose to limit yourself to read a summary of the content or wake up the phone to display all on a bigger screen. And if it is a call, thanks to the double microphone built can respond Live or call your contact later. Anyone who has a child dreamed of being a secret agent is now served: The microphone is also used to communicate with S Voice, the Samsung Siri.

Needless to say that the microphone did not use it much: James Bond fantasies / Knight Rider in part, and unless the phone is unreachable by hand (in a bag in the back seat while travel, on the kitchen table while you’re in the kitchen), have conversations by addressing to our wrist is not practical and is more convenient to do it in the traditional way. Different speech instead for notifications punctual and discreet with a little ‘habit in a couple of seconds, you can see the screen, decide whether it is worth to stop what were doing and put the watch under your sleeve.

In addition to the basic functionality, the Gear has a store accessible from the paired phone: from here you can download the app which will then be sent to the smartwatch. The problem is that currently there are not many: in addition to some custom skin we tried a couple of apps for fitness as Runkeeper , which keeps your wrist in the course of the training data. The aggregator of social networks Banjo sends the photographic content on the dial, while the cumbersome Smart Remote you can send commands from the wrist to the TV passing through the infrared transmitter of the phone.

deficiency app, however, is only one of the aspects that emphasize the incomplete nature of the Gear. Another point to consider is the battery life : With moderate use brings you safely to 24 hours, but dries faster if you insist on using the smartwatch even when you pull your phone out of your pocket. Moral and even if you arrive at the end of the working day, going to sleep, you still have to put the gear in its charging pocket every day.

The most serious defect is the time to watch Korean compatibility . As mentioned, support for now is limited to 3 Galaxy Note and Galaxy S4, but in a few months should be extended to other mid-high end phones or just left as Galaxy S3 and Galaxy S4 Zoom. All, however, a Samsung brand. In short, anyone who is curious about the gear, but does not have a smartphone in the list, should consider a double purchase. is a prospect that threatens to alienate consumers and, as a result, the developers of the app, in search of an ecosystem with multiple revenue opportunities possible.

The Samsung Galaxy Gear is the classic product for pioneers, and as such is plagued by structural defects and strategic , which in part can be solved (the ecosystem can be stimulated by expanding compatibility to all Android phones) and partly not. If you’re excited about this new category of devices can embark in the adventure almost without hesitation, but if you expect him smartwatch you simplify your life will have to wait a generation of more refined products.

Wired: Good visibility of the screen AMOLED. Always fluid interface. If your phone is within 150 meters you can make it ring at a distance to find him

Tired: The aim with the camera wrist is not the ultimate in convenience. Graphical interface a bit ‘skinny