Very shortly after its official presentation, the new Samsung Galaxy Gear, the smart watch from the South Korean company, is expected to be announced during the IFA from Berlin. If before we talked about some of the features that it could have, now we talk about a feature that it will not have and that would have been very important, being able to have a SIM card.
Finally, it will not have the possibility of having a SIM card, so it will not be a autonomous device, but will rely on a second smartphone that will act as the main phone. In fact, everything points to it being a watch that will serve as second screen, so you can show notifications that we have, expand the information on these, as well as post updates on social networks of all compatible applications. What has been confirmed is that Facebook y Twitter They would already have compatibility with this smart watch, so new updates can be published from the watch itself. Samsung Galaxy Gear.
A complete change of expectations
This news is a radical change of what we expect regarding this Samsung Galaxy Gear. It could be a new paradigm, a new concept of smart device for communication. In reality, it was the science fiction made reality. But it seems that this will not be the case in the end. We will not be able to wear a watch on our wrist with which we can make calls, or send text messages. Or who knows, maybe we will finally be able to do it, but always depending on the connection with the smartphone itself.
The reason why Samsung might have finally decided that it cannot have a SIM card would be that the battery consumption of having 3G connectivity was too high. If it has already been specified that the autonomy The watch's performance is not exaggerated; having a data network would have meant that its lifespan would not even reach a day. Even so, this data is not official, but it is most likely that the information comes from Samsung, who would not want the expectations are too high before launch. Thus, we will find ourselves with a Samsung Galaxy Gear that will compete with the Sony SmartWatch, and that will not be a rival, for the moment, for proposals such as Google Glass.
Connectivity and key features of the Samsung Galaxy Gear
Without SIM, your strength will be in the mobile connection. Pairing is expected by Low consumption Bluetooth to minimize energy consumption and a dedicated app to manage settings, notifications, and permissions. In this scenario, the watch would act as notification center and quick control:
- Rich notifications: View messages, emails and alerts with the ability to expand content.
- Quick actions: mark as read, mute, or reply with predefined responses in compatible apps.
- Multimedia control: play, pause or change tracks on your phone.
- Call management: Accept or reject calls and use the watch as free hands if it integrates a microphone and speaker.
compatibility with Facebook y Twitter opens the door to posting and reacting from the wrist, something key for those looking immediacy without taking your phone out of your pocket.
Display, design and controls designed for the wrist
A useful smartwatch needs a color touch screen with good visibility, probable technology AMOLED for its contrast and efficiency. The interface would be optimized for gestures and slides, with legible fonts and shortcuts. The presence of a microphone for voice commands and dictation, and a physical button to return to home or invoke key functions.
In materials, the logical thing is to combine resistance and comfort: high-quality metal or polycarbonate body, interchangeable straps and certain splash guard for everyday life. An ecosystem of customizable spheres It would provide identity and utility with complications such as steps, weather or upcoming appointments.
Autonomy and reasons for the absence of a SIM
The big argument for doing away with the SIM is to preserve the batteryAn active cellular modem would increase power consumption, reducing usage to just a few hours. Investing in Bluetooth LE, smart sync, and saving modes allows to maintain autonomy within practical limits. It is reasonable to consider a charging system using base or dedicated connector that facilitates fast nighttime recharges.
On the ground of health and fitness, The incorporation of accelerometer and other sensors would improve step counting and light activity recording, with export to popular apps. Since it doesn't have a SIM, the entire heavy processing and data uploads would be done through the smartphone, balancing performance and consumption.
With this approach, the Samsung Galaxy Gear It is emerging as a powerful complement to your mobile phone, capable of reducing distractions, providing productivity from the wrist and offer communication and tracking tools without the energy penalty of built-in cellular connectivity.
