Tag Archives: GalaxyGear

Samsung updating Galaxy Gear this week with enhanced notifications and gestures (updated)

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Samsung updating Galaxy Gear this week with enhanced notifications and gestures

When we reviewed the Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch, we were concerned about the lack of third-party notification support. If we received a notification from any app that wasn't officially made by Samsung, we wouldn't actually get to read it on the watch; instead, we'd get alerted to the fact that something was waiting on the phone for us, and we'd be given the option to press a button and have that app open up on the phone itself. Fortunately, Samsung has heard our feedback and will be pushing out an update sometime this week that now allows third-party app notifications to show up in full; you'll now be able to read your incoming Gmail messages, Facebook Messenger pings, Twitter mentions and Google Hangout messages, to name a few.

Samsung is also adding a couple more enhancements to the new update as well: it's confirmed that the Gear will also receive enhanced Smart Relay functionality which it says will help users "perform actions seamlessly" from their Gear to their phone, as well as an improvement to the lift-and-pause gesture that activates the clock. We imagine there will probably be a few random bug fixes thrown in there as well. Overall, this is a pleasant update to some of the most frustrating aspects of the Gear.

Update: This firmware update has already been available in Europe, and it appears that this new update is for US versions of the device.

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ZTE’s first smartwatch will only work with its own phones when it launches next year

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ZTE Nubia 5 and Grand S to be sold unlocked in US beginning October 16th

Though smartwatches may or may not be selling well, such market conditions aren't stopping newcomers like Qualcomm and others from entering the game. Now, China's ZTE has told the WSJ that it'll launch its own model in the second quarter of 2014 with features similar to Samsung's Galaxy Gear, but at a lower price. Before you get too excited, the yet-unnamed device will just launch in China at first, and it'll only be compatible with the company's own smartphones -- like the Nubia Z5 shown above. However, ZTE said it may roll out in Europe and the US later and might also launch future smartwatches that work with any Android device. Though the market for wrist-borne wearables in China is tiny compared to the smartphone segment, ZTE's mobile marketing chief Lu Qianhao said that launching such a product may give his company's smartphones a competitive advantage. That may be an unusual marketing ploy, but it could get stranger -- the company's also considering smart glasses and yes, smart shoes.

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Source: WSJ

Almost all of your notifications can now display on Samsung’s Galaxy Gear

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Almost all of your notifications can now display on Samsung's Galaxy Gear

Another day, another phone gets update post. But this time, it's a smartwatch -- Samsung's Galaxy Gear -- that's party to a software refresh and it's going to bring you closer to that Go! Go! Gadget dream. According to Sammobile, an update to the Gear Manager app now lets you add nearly every type of notification for display on your wrist. So, you won't need to trawl forums any longer for an unofficial workaround. There's even an option to open a particular notification on your associated smartphone. In all, it's really nothing revolutionary and it in no way makes the case for a smartwatch purchase. But if you took the plunge and bought a Gear, it's just one more thing you can do for $300.

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Source: Sammobile

Daily Roundup: Galaxy Gear and Note 10.1 (2014) reviews, CEATEC 2013, GTA 5 multiplayer and more!

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DNP The Daily RoundUp

You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.

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Samsung Galaxy Gear review

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Samsung Galaxy Gear review

When we speak of smartwatches, what do you think of first? If you're the nostalgic type, your mind might drift back to Dick Tracy, or to those times when Michael Knight yelled at KITT to help get him out of impossibly tight spots (which, let's face it, was nearly every single episode). But those types of products, once associated with sci-fi movies and TV shows, are now a dime a dozen -- they're so numerous in 2013, in fact, that an entire industry has been built around them, and big-name companies like Google and Apple are starting to show an intense interest in them.

It was only a matter of time (har) before a large manufacturer like Samsung tossed its hat into the wearables arena. Its first attempt, known as the Galaxy Gear, was announced alongside the Galaxy Note 3 and the new Note 10.1 about a month ago. With a 1.6-inch AMOLED screen, upcoming third-party support and even a camera, this promises to be unlike any smartwatch we've played with before. Still, the suggested MSRP of $300 is a pretty high price to pay for the convenience of looking at texts on your wrist, and you may not even see Warren Beatty rocking the thing on the red carpet. But is this first-generation Samsung device executed well enough that you might consider purchasing it along with your new Galaxy Note 3? Let's see.

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Samsung’s Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Gear watch available from AT&T on October 4th

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Look, we're with you: pre-orders are for losers. You're giving over your hard-earned cash so some company can bank interest and gauge sales allocations, just to guarantee you get it on day one. You'll be glad to know then, pre-order hater, that Samsung's Galaxy Note 3 smartphone and its Galaxy Gear smartwatch are available for purchase sans pre-order via AT&T's website and stores on October 4th. Those of you less averse to pre-orders will still get your Note 3 a few days earlier on October 1st. Still undecided on the Note 3? Our review's right here to help you make that decision. Dig it!

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Daily Roundup: Google’s 15th anniversary, Stir’s Kinetic Desk, iOS 7.0.2 and more!

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DNP The Daily RoundUp

You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.

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Samsung exec admits Galaxy Gear smartwatch ‘lacks something special’

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Samsung exec admits Galaxy Gear 'lacks something special'

In an unusual bout of frankness, a Samsung official has acknowledged that the Galaxy Gear smartwatch lacks, you know, whatever the Korean is for je ne sais quoi. As reported by the Korea Times, the unnamed official said:

"We've acknowledged that our Gear lacks something special. With more investment for user interface and user experience, Samsung devices will be better in terms of customer satisfaction."

We're not sure if the source of the quote is Samsung's VP of strategic marketing, Lee Don-joo, but this exec is quoted in the same Korea Times article as saying that the watch is "definitely receiving a warm response" and that improvements would stem from software tweaks and the hiring of new UI experts, rather than from the development of a whole new device. He described the Gear as part of Samsung's drive to create new categories of "wow product" and, in virtually the same gasp, he also reiterated that Samsung would launch some sort of heavily curved -- or perhaps even partially bendable -- smartphone in Korea next month.

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Via: Unwired View

Source: Korea Times

Samsung’s Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Gear now on sale in the UK

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If you've been looking to get your hands on Samsung's new Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Gear, boom, they're here. The company has kicked off another of its world tours to announce availability of its 5.7-inch smartphone and new smartwatch in 58 countries. In the UK, an unlocked Galaxy Note 3 will set you back £649 but it's also available on nearly all of the major carriers (we're still waiting to hear from Three) -- starting at around £30 on a traditional contract, or free if you decide to sign up to a new early-upgrader tariff. The Galaxy Gear retails at £299, but Samsung thinks you could use a £100 discount if you bundle it with an unlocked Galaxy Note 3, for a total cost of £848. Customers in the US, Canada and Japan, however, will have to wait 'til October -- though pre-orders are already open.

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Source: Phones4U, O2

Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Gear smartwatch for Sprint: ships October 4th with ‘unlimited data for life’

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Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Gear smartwatch for Sprint ships October 4th with 'unlimited data for life'

As has become the norm, Sprint's primary differentiator is its "unlimited data for life" policy affixed to new flagships. Granted, the carrier isn't promising that the amount it charges for said data will remain the same for life, but at least you'll have the option to pony up for it. Following the footsteps of AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon, Sprint has announced that its version of the Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Gear watch will arrive on shelves October 4th. The former will cost $349.99 on a two-year contract (a full $50 more than most of its rivals), while the latter will go for $299.99 outright. Outside of being compatible with Sprint's LTE airwaves and including a bit of carrier-branded bloatware, the handset itself will be the same one that we've previewed extensively.

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Source: Sprint