The Samsung Galaxy Gear Smartwatch…One Opinion

We are living in the future, now. As today’s technology continues to speed us further forward, the avalanche of advancements continues to impress and delight even the most tech-savvy among us. Today’s smartwatch is one of the more recent innovations. Do you have one? Do you even know how they work?

What Should We Expect From A Smartwatch?

Those of us who have yet to get on board the smartwatch trend have questions: Is a smartwatch something that simply sits on the wrist and buzzes whenever the phone in your pocket does something? Is a smartwatch a fully-fledged phone it itself? Or, like the Galaxy Gear, is a smartwatch something in between?

Paving The Way

There are all kinds of devices pretending to be a smartwatch, and they have definitely aroused an interest within the consuming public, and possibly more aptly a desire to have all their technology conveniently strapped to their wrist. There was an outpouring of tech consumers who had long been awaiting something like the LG GD510, which was the real ‘Dick Tracy’ smartwatch that was basically a feature phone on a wrist, allowing users to make calls and send texts. And even though it turned out to be totally worthless as a phone replacement, that little device sold out the world over. And then the Pebble came along, which is basically a watch that’s designed to sit pensively posed next to your smartphone, waiting to give notifications and extra information when needed. It didn’t receive the best reviews despite enjoying a huge success on Kickstarter, yet the makers continue to struggle to meet demand.

The Gear Arrives

But when Samsung, the world’s biggest supplier of smartphones, makes a device that supplements the Galaxy Note 3 and the Galaxy S4 (after the latest update) there’s clamor to check it out. The Gear is definitely attractive, with components of metal and rubber that give it a solid feel. It requires a companion Samsung device in order to function, so if you don’t already have one, plan on purchasing one.

Size

Even with 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 might occasionally catch on your clothing, but it’s not going to be in the realms of sports watches that runners lug around on marathons.

Fit

It is designed with an adequately strong clasp, and the fit is generally snug enough, which means it can feel a little tight if you wear it all day, but that’s an issue it seems most smart watches are going to struggle with. And, no, you can’t change the strap on the Gear, as it has the camera stuck inside – so make sure it’s a decent fit to begin with.

Commands Made Simple

There’s one single button on the outside, which is the power / function key. Tapping it turns the device on, but a longer press or double tap will produce other tasks, which you can program yourself. These are a little limited, but it’s commendable that Samsung has tried to maximize the lack of tappable space on the screen in this fashion.

Recharging

If you are going to be needing to recharge, you’ll have to bring the plastic charging case along with you, as it’s highly doubtful that someone else will have one at this point. To use, you plug your watch into it and plug into a standard microUSB cable. It’s probably designed this way because the addition of a port on the watch would have likely increased the size too much.