Not too long ago, we heard a rumor that Samsung will launch an Android Wear smartwatch at the Google I/O conference, and it turns out it was correct.
Samsung has finally unveiled their latest addition to the smartwatch family, dubbed as the Gear Live. The smartwatch looks quite similar to earlier Gear watches, but with Android Wear as its operating system.
“Samsung has been a pioneer in the quickly-evolving wearable market, and the launch of Gear Live furthers our efforts to deliver a simple and intuitive wearable experience to consumers,” said JK Shin, CEO and President of IT & Mobile Division, Samsung Electronics. “Through our long-term close collaboration with Google, we have successfully incorporated the capabilities of Android Wear into the Gear Live, in a way that only Samsung can do. I am confident that Samsung and Google together, we will grow the smart wearable market to positively impact consumers’ life.”
“Watches powered by Android Wear aim to help people get access to useful information the moment you need it, at a glance,” said Sundar Pichai, SVP, Android, Chrome & Apps. “It’s exciting to be working closely with Samsung on the launch of the Gear Live-with it’s all-day battery and vibrant display-to bring more smart wearables to the market.”
The smartwatch comes with a 1.63-inch display sporting a resolution of 320 by 320, and is powered by a 1.2GHz processor. There’s a 512MB RAM and 4GB of RAM ith IP67 certification making the device water and dust-resistant. The smartwatch measures 37.9 x 56.4 x 8.9 mm and weights only 59 grams. Additionally, there’s a heart rate monitor on the device as well.
Samsung Gear Live uses Bluetooth to connect with Android smartphones running Android 4.3 Jelly Bean or later. When connected, it can display notifications, messages, calls and other information on the smartwatch without the need of taking out your smartphone from your pocket. The smartwatch also offers interchangeable straps, users could use any 22mm strap with it.
The smartwatch comes in two colors Black and Wine Red. The device will go on sale at the Google Play Store later today, as well as Samsung retail stores, but there’s no word about its pricing.
Source: Samsung
