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The next Samsung Galaxy Gear smart watch could be on your wrist early next year, and this time it’ll actually work with your phone.
This news comes from the file marked “No shizzle, Sherlock”, but Korean news site Daum reports that a Galaxy Gear 2 is in the works to follow the Gear, Samsung’s first major venture in the much-hyped new generation of wearable technology. Phones and phone accessories are usually unveiled at mobile trade show Mobile World Congress in February, but the second Gear could debut earlier at general tech event Consumer Electronics Show in January.
The biggest problem we can see with the Gear — aside from the hefty price tag — is that it only works with the new Galaxy Note 3, unveiled alongside the Galaxy Note 10.1. That’s something Samsung has to address if it wants the Gear to take off, and accordingly the Gear sequel is expected to work with a wider range of phones.
A software update is expected to make the current Gear work with other phones, including the Galaxy S4.
The Gear talks to your phone so you can see notifications, use apps and even make calls without taking your phone out of your pocket. It needs to be paired with a phone to reach its full potential, so it’s a high priority for Samsung to make it work with all Galaxy phones — if not all Android phones.
We wouldn’t mind if a few quid was knocked off the price while they’re at it: it’s $300 in the US, which is an awful lot of wonga for an accessory.
The first Gear goes on sale with the new Note on 25 September. It sports a 1.63-inch AMOLED touchscreen that lets you swipe through apps and use the low-resolution camera built into the strap. There’s about 70 apps to start with, including eBay and Pinterest, with more on the way.
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