Galaxy Gear stacks up to other smartwatches
Galaxy Gear stacks up to other smartwatches |
It's tricky business comparing the handful of smartwatches that been publicly unveiled so far -- an early wave in the growing flood of wearable tech products.
The market is still
defining what qualifies as a smartwatch, and the features available so
far vary broadly from device to device.
Samsung made the biggest splash so far Wednesday when it rolled out its Galaxy Gear, a souped-up watch with a simple camera, some decent storage space, voice controls and a single-core processor.
But it lacks integration with Facebook and Twitter -- basic functions already adopted by some of its simpler competitors.
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And, if truth be told,
some of the stars are still waiting in the wings. Apple, Google and
Microsoft -- arguably the heftiest triumvirate in the tech world -- are all expected to hit the market soon with their own smartwatches.
For now, here's a
comparison of the leading connected wrist adornments for sale to tech
fashionistas and early adopters. Expect this list to grow quickly as the
weeks go on.
Display: 1.63 inches
Price: $299
Battery life: About one day
Compatibility: New Samsung Galaxy devices, eventually older ones
Connection: Bluetooth 4.0 LE
Camera: 1.9 megapixel camera, 720p video recording
Other: 4GB storage, 800 MHz single-core processor, gyroscope and accelerometer
Availability: Late September worldwide, early October in U.S. and Japan
Display: 1.26 inches
Price: $150
Battery life: 7+ days (additional 10-15% on phone battery)
Compatibility: iPhone 3GS, 4, 4S, 5 or any iPod Touch with iOS 5 or iOS 6. Android devices
Connection: Bluetooth 2.0, 4.0
Camera: No
Other: Accelerometer, magnetometer, water-resistant
Availability: For sale now
Display: 1.6 inches
Price: $149 for 8GB version
Battery life: 20 hours active indoors, 9 outside
Compatibility: Android phones
Connection: Bluetooth 1.5 or higher
Camera: No
Other: Optimized for exercise, it has GPS tracking, Google Maps integration, is water resistant
Availability: For sale now
Display: 1.6 inches
Price: $262
Battery life: 3-4 days
Compatibility: Most Android phones
Connection: NFC and Bluetooth 3.0
Camera: No
Other: Display that's readable in sunlight, hundreds of apps available
Availability: Available "soon"
Display: 1.55 inches
Price: Around $300
Battery life: TBA
Compatibility: Android phones
Connection: Bluetooth
Camera: No
Other: Mirasol display, similar to e-ink
Availability: In limited numbers in mid-October
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