Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Gear Smartwatch Unveiled

 

• Galaxy Note 3

                          The Galaxy Note 3 is Samsung's new flagship "phablet." It's been given a pretty huge update in terms of physical design: the rear cover is a faux leather, stitched design, combining with the banded sides to make it look like a journal. The shape of the phone is a bit more angular than the Note II as well. The Note 3 will launch in black, white, and pink color options, with a range of interchangeable back covers and flip covers in various colors.

Specifications:

                       The battery is still removable, and has been adjusted to 3200mAh. Storage options have been boosted to 32GB or 64GB, plus a MicroSD card. The rear camera is the same 13 megapixel model as the Galaxy S4, but now includes the ability to record in 4K. The front camera is 1.9MP. Samsung is also stressing the addition of CAT4 Carrier Aggregation to the Note 3's LTE spec.

 

• Galaxy Gear

                         The Galaxy Gear is an interesting take on the smartwatch. It eschews power-saving e-ink and similar screen technologies for a 1.63-inch Super AMOLED with a resolution of 320x320. Samsung says that the watch runs on an 800Mhz processor and uses 512MB of memory, with 4GB of onboard storage. It pairs with Samsung devices (and at the moment, only Samsung devices) over Bluetooth with the aid of NFC and a proprietary app. The main function of the device is as a notification and call extender, and to that end, it includes the ability to answer and place calls from the watch itself. An integrated microphone on the clasp of the strap will allow for speakerphone-style conversation. The Gear will be available in six colors.

Specifications:

Colours: Jet Black, Mocha Gray, Wild Orange, Oatmeal Beige, Rose Gold, and Lime Green

Processor: 800 MHz

Storage: 4 GB
 
Memory: 512 MB

Display: 1.63 in Super AMOLED (320 x 320)

Camera: 1.9 Mp BSI, auto focus

Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.0 (BLE)

Dimensions: 36.8 x 56.6 x 11.1 mm, 73.8g

Battery: 315 mAh Li-ion

The Galaxy Gear will retail for $299 starting on September 25th; the Galaxy Note 3 will also go on sale on September 25th, at AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint and U.S. Cellular. No price was announced for the American version of the Note 3.