Samsung's galaxy gear, a new computing device worn like a wristwatch, is certain to pique much curiosity when it starts being worn in public. The intensely black rectangular screen and orange strap on the wrist of a Samsung executive immediately caught my eye as she entered a corporate meeting room to give a preview of the gadget.

Samsung will start shipping the $299 Gear smartwatch in September, ahead of a similar product expected from Apple. I had a chance to play with a pre-production unit for about 10 minutes and briefly with the version that Samsung announced Wednesday in Berlin on the eve of the annual IFA consumer electronics show.

Like similar products already being sold, the Gear is not an independent device. For useful functionality, the Gear needs to be linked with a specific Samsung smartphone or tablet computer. The pairing is done wirelessly over a Bluetooth connection built in to both sides.

The Gear's display is a touch screen measuring 1.63 inches diagonally. Its strap has an embedded camera. The Gear supports apps such as Facebook and lets the wearer answer incoming calls or check email without picking up the smartphone that's paired with it. The Gear is not the smartwatch with a flexible display, as disclosed in recent Samsung patent filings.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Gear smartwatch up for India pre-orders

Samsung phablet and company's first smartwatch, Galaxy Gear, are now available for pre-orders on the Samsung Indian estore.

The company is accepting pre-bookings for the Galaxy Note 3 with a Rs. 2,000 booking amount now, with the rest payable once the device is released in the country. Samsung is also taking pre-orders for the Galaxy Gear smartwatch; however the first wearable tech device from the company is not available independently and comes bundled with the latest Note iteration. The Galaxy Note 3 and the Galaxy Gear can be pre-booked jointly for Rs. 2,000, with the rest of the amount paid after the both devices are available. The Galaxy Gear smartwatch can presently only work with the Galaxy Note 3 and the Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition, a tablet which was also launched at IFA 2013. The listing was first spotted by Telecom Gyaan.

There is no word on the final pricing and availability of both devices yet. However, Samsung has sent invitations for an event on September 17, where the South Korean giant is expected to launch both the Galaxy Note 3 and the Galaxy Gear smartwatch in India.

Not too long ago, Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and the Galaxy Gear smartwatch US and UK prices were revealed.

Samsung's much hyped Galaxy Note 3 was unveiled at the side-lines of IFA 2013 in Berlin. It features a 5.7-inch full-HD Super AMOLED display and comes in two variants: the LTE-variant powered by 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, and the 3G (HSDPA) version powered by a 1.9GHz octa-core Exynos processor. Both models bear 3GB of LPDDR3 RAM, and sport a 13-megapixel rear camera alongside a 2-megapixel front camera. The Note 3 is powered by 3,200mAh battery and runs on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy Gear smartwatch was also launched at IFA and features a 1.63-inch (4.14 cm) OLED display. It can make calls, display messages, record videos and snap photos with its 1.9-megapixel camera.

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Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Gear pre-booking starts in India for Rs 2,000

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Gear pre-booking starts in India for Rs 2,000

Samsung is expected to launch the Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Gear in India next week but the two devices are already up for pre-booking on its official India online store. As is the practice in India, Samsung has not revealed the price of either products but is offering a combo deal for the two for a pre-booking amount of just Rs2,000. The Galaxy Note 3 is also available for a pre-booking amount of Rs2,000 without the Galaxy Gear.

The Galaxy Note 3, which was unveiled earlier this month at IFA features a 5.7-inch full HD display, the latest Exynos 5 Octa processor clocked at 1.9GHz and a 13-megapixel camera. To dispel the plastic feel, Samsung has given a faux leather layer on the rear cover and has also improved the TouchWiz UI to enhance the S-Pen’s functionality. It runs on the latest Android Jelly Bean 4.3 version, becoming the first non-Nexus smartphone to rock it. We expect it to be priced in the vicinity of Rs50,000.

The Galaxy Gear, on the other hand, is Samsung’s foray into smartwatches. Apart from telling the time, the Galaxy Gear also has a 1.9-megapixel camera and comes with an initial suite of 70 apps. It also features S-Voice and users can both receive and make calls directly from it when it is paired with a compatible device. At the moment, it is only compatible with the Galaxy Note 3 and the Galaxy Note 10.1 (2014 edition) though Samsung has said it will soon be compatible with the Galaxy S4, Galaxy S III and Note II.

We expect the combo deal to be in the vicinity of Rs 70,000. We will be on the ground when Samsung reveals the India pricing and launch details next week. Stay tuned.

Read story on bgr.in where it was first published

Samsung to launch smartphones priced between Rs 5,000-Rs 15,000

 

SUMMARYSamsung is set to launch its premium high-end smart phone, the Galaxy Note 3, on Tuesday.

Samsung will launch two smartphones in India this month for less than Rs 15,000, intensifying competition in the mid-segment mobile market.

The Korean company, which has a 49 per cent share in India's smartphone segment, will offer options in local languages to attract non-English speaking customers.

Related: Affordable Quad-Core smartphones in India

"We will be launching two new smartphones priced for the mid-segment market. Every phone from Samsung will have nine vernacular language options," Samsung Country Head (Mobile Business) Vineet Taneja said, without mentioning the prices.

However, a company official said the phones may be priced in the Rs 5,000-15,000 range. Most mobile phones in India are sold in this price range, including Nokia Lumia 520 and 620, Blackberry Curve, Xolo smartphones and Micromax Canvas 2.

The Samsung phones will offer access to content and applications in Hindi, Punjabi, Tamil, Bengali, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi and Gujarati.

"The competition now in the smart phone market is how to make the phone size small without compromising on the screen size," Taneja said.

The company is set to launch its premium high-end smart phone, the Galaxy Note 3, on Tuesday.

Samsung currently offers about 17 smartphones priced between Rs 5,000 (Samsung Star) and Rs 39,000 (S4).

Taneja said the company is focusing on the mid-end to high-end smart phone market and will provide dual-SIM option in all handsets.

Going forward, you will see more and more dual-SIM phones coming up," he said.

According to telecom magazine Voice&Data, Samsung toppled Nokia from its leadership position in the financial year 2012-13 with revenue of Rs 11,328 crore and a 31.5 per cent market share. Nokia's market share stood at 27.2 per cent.