MWC 2014 - Smartwatch: Samsung unveils two new Gear
Barcelona - No surprise: Samsung benefited from the Mobile World Congress that opened Monday in Barcelona to present its new watches connected in the Galaxy Gear family.
The objective is twofold for the Asian giant: forget the disappointment of the first version (price, autonomy and compatibility) and occupy the land as soon as possible while other manufacturers are lining up and Apple prepares its defenses.
Recall that despite this disappointment, Samsung is the market leader with a share of 54%, according to Canalys, far from Sony that would claim 19%.
Samsung has decided to see things big with two models: Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo, which will be cheaper because devoid of camera. Confirming recent rumors, the accessory is no longer animated by Android but Tizen OS MeeGo mobile derivative (hence the loss of the reference Galaxy).
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Design side , no changes , these Gear 2 show the shape of the previous model, the same bracelet as well. The size was slightly reduced by one millimeter.
Measurement of cardiac rhythm and sleep
Under the hood, there are some changes compared to the previous model unveiled last September. If found in both models the same screen super AMOLED 1.63 inch with a resolution of 320 × 320 pixels , 512 MB RAM and 4GB of internal storage , the dual core processor was boosted to 1 Ghz instead 800 Mhz. The camera ( which passes the bracelet box) of Gear 2 is 2 megapixels .
Point curious ( and disturbing? ) Battery only displays 300mAh instead of 315mAh . However, the autonomy of the first model (just one day) was highly criticized by observers.
But the real novelty is the addition of functions , "wellness" , very fashionable today. Thus , the shown features a heartbeat sensor for generating data and activity profiles or sleep . What both positioned on the segment of the watch but also bracelets online who also have the wind in their sails.
Moreover, Gear 2 can be used as a remote control for TV and as a music player via a new embedded application .
Both models will be available in April at a yet undisclosed price . They should be compatible with most smartphones Galaxy . Samsung will still do better than me previous model could only be associated with very few smartphones of the brand. The choice of Tizen he extend this compatibility ?
According to Canalys , it took 1.8 million ' smartwatches ' in 2013 , including 1.6 million in just the second half. This year , 8 million watches connected should find takers . For the following years , growth should remain strong as Canalys expects 23 million connected watches passed in 2015 and 45 million in 2017.
Nevertheless, Gartner tempers this optimism. Annette Zimmermann, principal analyst , these products appear "irrelevant in terms of design , applications and features available. "
By 4-5 years , less than 1 % of users of high-end phones should have replaced their devices by combining a couple shows connected and tablet
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