Tag: Price

MWC 2014: Samsung unveils the Galaxy S5
Samsung finally revealed its Galaxy S5 smartphone at an event during the MWC in Barcelona. The water-resistant phone will go on sale April 11 with features including a longer-lasting battery than the S4.

The design of the Galaxy S5 has finally away from the cheap plastic feel with having a new textured polycarbonate rear that comes in four “Modern Flash” colors – Charcoal Black, Shimmery White, Electric Blue and Copper Gold. But still would have been nicer to have a metal design.

Fingerprint Scanner and Heart rate sensor

The Galaxy S5’s fingerprint function requires to swipe down on the home button and can be used to not just unlock your phone but to also lock and unlock certain files and apps. It will also authenticate purchases online.

Samsung has also included in a heart rate sensor to complement both its new S-Health app and pedometer to help you stay healthy and see whether your workouts are actually doing anything for you. It is located just below the camera at the back which reads your fingertip to grab your pulse in a short while.

Camera

The main camera will have a resolution of 16 megapixels with 4K video capabilities It now supports real-time HDR processing for better photos in mixed lighting.

Battery

Battery will last 20% longer than its predecessor and the addition of a new Ultra Power Saving mode that limits your phone back to basic functions with a black and white screen to conserve battery.

Display

The 5.1-inch Full HD display on an AMOLED screen.

Android 4.4.2 KitKat with Samsung’s user interface fully intact.

The IP67 water and dust resistant rating means that the phone can cop a bit of water with no worry, being rated to survive under 1m of water for 30 minutes.

Galaxy s5 Specs:
- 5.1-inch full HD Super AMOLED display
- Android 4.4 KitKat
- Qualcomm 2.5GHz quad-core processor
- 16GB or 32GB of storage
- 16-megapixel rear camera/2.1-megapixel front camera
- 2800mAh battery
- 21-band 4G LTE
Feb 25, 2014
Dell launches Windows 8.1 and android powered ‘Venue’ tablets
Dell has launched the 8-inch Venue 8 Pro as well as the 11-inch Venue 11 pro tablets that run on Microsoft Windows 8. 1 pertaining to Indian markets. This company via tablets is targeting buyers who need a device for entertainment as well as for professional work.

Whilst Venue 8 Pro may have an price label connected with Rs 26, 499, company has not exposed the buying price of the actual Venue 11 Pro.Dell Venue 8 Pro is available in red as well as black.

“India is one of our top 10 markets and it was important that we bring our latest offering here. With our versatile range of tablets, we want to be a leading player in this market, which is witnessing strong growth,” Dell India Executive Director and GM (Consumer and Small Business) P Krishnakumar.

Available from today, the Android-based Dell Venue 7 and 8 tablets are priced at Rs 10,999 and Rs 17,499, respectively. Dell will sell the Windows 8-based Venue 8 Pro at Rs 26,499 from next month.

Dell Venue 8 Pro features
- 1280×800-pixel HD IPS screen
- Quad-core 1.8GHz Intel Atom processor
- 2GB of RAM
- 5-megapixel (rear)/ 1.2-megapixel (front)
- 32GB/64GB storage expandable via microSD card slot
- Weight 395g
- 9mm thick
- battery lasting 9.9 hours
The Venue 11 Pro features
- Full-HD 1920×1080-pixel screen
- 10-finger simultaneous touch
- 2.4 GHz Intel Atom processor
- 64 GB/128 GB storage
  8-megapixel (rear)/2-megapixel (front)
- full-sized USB 3.0 host port
- mini-HDMI video port
- Wi-Fi 802.11n, Bluetooth 4.0 and NFC
- battery lasting 8 and 10 hours.
The Venue 8 Pro will be offered with a keyboard case and the Venue 11 Pro with an attachable keyboard with an additional battery.

Dell also launched Venue 7 and Venue 8 Android tablets priced at Rs. 10,999 and Rs. 17,499 respectively. The devices are available through the online store.

Their features include the 2GHz dual-core Intel Atom Z2760 (Clover Trail) processor, IPS Display with HD (WXGA 1280 x 800), Intel HD Graphics, 2GB of DDR2 RAM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and an integrated 4100mAh 1-Cell Battery. Available in only Black color variant.
Jan 21, 2014
Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 : The Grandeur in High Definition

The much awaited sequel to the popular Galaxy Grand series from Samsung is finally here and quite pleasantly, it lives up to the hype. The Grand series phones from Samsung that can be accommodated in all different price brackets and yet offer the grandeur and power of some big, high end models like the S-series and the Note.

The Galaxy Grand 2 sets the ball rolling with advanced and enhanced hardware as well as improved software. It also sports a much identical faux leather look as seen in Galaxy Note 3. The Galaxy Grand 2 packs in a 5.25-inch HD display with a screen resolution of 1280×720 pixels. It is powered by a 1.2 GHz quad-core CPU and packs in RAM cache of 1.5 GB. It runs on Google’s Android 4.3 OS an also comes with S Travel, Story Album, S Translator, Group Play, Sound & Shot, Samsung Link and Samsung Hub. The device’s further details are highlighted below.

Better display

If there is one thing that truly stands about the Galaxy Grand 2, then it has to be its better and bigger display. With a 5.25-inch screen, the Galaxy Grand 2 gets a bigger screen than the previous version. Its screen is also bigger than the Galaxy Grand Quattro that was launched in May. The Galaxy Grand 2’s display features a 720p display with a 1280×720 pixels screen resolution. Samsung had released news about the launch of this phone and it did not mention the inclusion of a screen protector.

Processor

The Galaxy Grand 2 from Samsung comes powered by a dual-core 1.2 GHz processor. It also packs in massive RAM cache of 1.5 GB which is an advancement over the Galaxy Grand’s 1 GB RAM. However, the Korean handset manufacturer has kept the same internal memory capacity of 8 GB with the Galaxy Grand 2. The internal memory remains the same for all Galaxy Grand devices. With the Galaxy Grand 2, the user can expand the memory capacity up to 64 GB with a micro SD card.

Design

Out of all the phones in the Galaxy Grand series, the Galaxy Grand 2 is the thinnest of all. It is only about 8.9 mm thick and is lesser than the Galaxy Grand, which is thin at 9.6 mm while the Galaxy Grand Quattro measures 9.7mm in thickness. The Galaxy Grand 2 gets a stitched leather look on the rear panel that was first seen on the Galaxy Note 3 phablet. The leather texture also renders it a smooth touch feel which is lacked by the other Galaxy Grand phones.

What comes as even more interesting is that the enhanced display size and the much powerful processor of the Galaxy Grand 2 do not lead to a rise in its weight. The Galaxy Grand 2 weighs only 1 grams more than the earlier Grand. The Galaxy Grand 2 will be sold in trendy pink color options, as was seen with the Galaxy Note 3, apart from white and black.

Camera and battery

Samsung’s Galaxy Grand 2 gets the same camera as seen in the Galaxy Grand. It features a 8 megapixel primary shooter apart from a 1.9 megapixel front camera for video calling. The front-facing camera of the device can be utilized for clicking self-portraits as well as recording 720p HD videos.

The primary snapper also has features like Continuous Shot, Best Photo and Best Face. Samsung also provides an improved battery with the Galaxy Grand 2. It gets a 2600 mAh battery pack for supporting the enhanced processing power and the big screen of the device.

Connectivity

The Galaxy Grand 2 get slotted as a mid-range phablet and features a host of connectivity options, both wireless and wired. It has dual SIM card slots, WiFi Direct, Wi-Fi b/g/n, GLONASS A-GPS, Bluetooth v4.0, 3.5 mm audio jack and MicroUSB V 2.0. The 2600 mAH Li-ion battery back up provides enough charge to use the device for a complete day for low to normal usage.

Operating System

The Galaxy Grand 2 really impresses with its OS. It is running on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean OS and sports similar features as seen in Galaxy Note 3. The 4.3 Jelly Bean is the latest version of Android and comes with an interface that well complements the premium and advanced features of the device. Samsung Link, Group Play, Samsung Hub, Sound & Shot, S Travel, S Translator, Story Album are some of the premium features that make way in the Grand 2.

Samsung is also offering three months free access to Club Samsung that features music, movies, entertainment lives shows content and gigs.

Price

It was expected that Samsung would be launching the Galaxy Grand 2 at a price of about Rs. 21,500. This was the same price at which Galaxy Grand was launched. However, Samsung maintains a Rs. 22,990- Rs. 24,990 price bracket for the Galaxy Grand 2. Samsung is also providing some freebies with the phone. The Galaxy Grand 2 went on sale in India last week of December, 2013. Also, the Canvas 5 and the Intex i17 were also launched in the market. The Intex i17 Octa-Core comes at a price of Rs. 20,000 and the Canvas 5 also carries a similar price, thus giving stiff competition to the Galaxy Grand 2. It remains to be seen whether Galaxy Grand 2 makes its presence felt in the market and beats its competitors.

The Galaxy Grand 2 also features dual SIM (GSM + GSM) functionality. It comes in three exciting colors- Pink, Black and White and gets Samsung’s exclusive S Translator, Story Album, Sound & Shot, S Travel and other software. Samsung also launched a one-stop destination –Club Samsung for its India-based infotainment content.

The Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 faces cut-throat competition from home-grown handset makers like Karbonn, Xolo and even Micromax. All these manufacturers have launched their flagship devices like the Karbonn Titanium SD, Xolo Q3000 and the Micromax Canvas Turbo. What remains interesting is that all these devices pack in better specs than the Galaxy Grand 2 but come at a price below Rs. 20,000.

Jan 20, 2014
Intex launches Aqua i4+ with dual-sim at Rs 7,600

Intex has launched its new phablet Aqua i4+ with 8MP camera in India at Rs 7,600.

or those who are interested in this piece of hardware, we have listed its features in detail. The very first thing that is likely to catch your eye as soon as you take a look at the phone is its screen that offers a viewing real estate of 5 inches. The phablet’s display has a resolution of 854 x 480 pixels, which isn’t all that bad.

“Intex Aqua i4+ is yet another endeavour from Intex to meet the expectations of today’s consumer in terms of design and performance. With its impressive specifications and features, Aqua i4+ promises to be a smart and powerful smartphone capable of providing smooth user-experience”, said Sanjay Kumar Kalirona, Business Head- Mobile, Intex Technologies.

It has 3G, HSPA+, and Bluetooth 4.0 as connectivity options. It comes with a large 2000mAh battery which the company claims can give a talk time of 6 hours and a standby time of 220 hours.The Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean phone also has a 8 megapixel rear camera and a 1.3 MP front camera.

The phone will feature pre-installed instant messaging apps like WeChat and OLX along with 5 GB of free cloud storage through an Intex Cloud app.
Available in Pearl Blue and Pearl White, Aqua i4+ will be available across 40,000 plus retail outlets, Inext Squares (exclusive retail stores), hypermarkets and e-commerce portals.

Key specifications of the phone:

– 5-inch touchscreen
– 8MP camera, 1.3MP webcam
– 1.2GHz dual core processor
– Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2 OS
– 512MB of RAM
– 4GB onboard memory, expandable up to 32GB
– 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth GPS
– 2000mAh battery

Dec 29, 2013

Moto G : The Budget Smartphone review

The Motorola Moto G is an important phone, for Motorola at least. It’s the first new Motorola phone to be released in the UK in ages, and the first we’ve seen since Google bought Motorola back in 2012. It’s also superb. Thanks to its 720p screen and solid Snapdragon 400 processor, it offers far better specs than any other big-name a phone selling for under £150. If you want a sub-£150 or $179 phone, get this one. It’s that simple.

Design

The design on the Moto G doesn’t, by any means, follow the current smartphone trend of the straightest possible form and thinner-is-better chassis approach. Its thickest side is the curved back which is almost 1.2 cm thick, while the thinnest part is just over 6 mm.

Its kinship with the Moto X is quite evident: both have the same exchangeable back side made from a slightly rubberized polycarbonate, built with the headphone jack at the top side as well as a cut out for the camera, an LED flash and finally a Motorola logo. Just like the Moto X, there’s a whole rainbow of colors from which to choose.
The interface is largely vanilla, which is good, but there are a handful of Motorola flavoured additions. Motorola Migrate helps you bring all your content such as photos, videos and text message history – as long your old phone was Android. Motorola Assist helps to avoid disruptions when you’re in a meeting or asleep which we’ve found extremely handy.

Display

The Motorola Moto G’s most impressive feature is its screen. This is the first time we’ve seen a 720p screen on a phone that costs less than £140.
This gives the phone the sort of ultra-sharp text and images that we’ve only seen in much more expensive phones to date. 720p resolution stretched across a 4.5-inch display gives a pixel density rating of 329 pixels per inch (ppi). Higher-end Androids may offer 1080p screens these days, but that’s still higher than the ppi rating of the iPhone 5S (326ppi).

Design your smartphone : Moto x

Processor

The processor on the Moto G is a Snapdragon 400 with four cores, a clock speed of 1.2 GHz and 1 GB of RAM.

Battery

Motorola touts ‘all day’ battery life for the Moto G and this is certainly the case in our testing. The Moto G will last a day and if you are a light user then you’ll probably even get a couple of days from the handset.

Tech Specs and Price

The technical aspects that come with the Moto G aren’t in the class of superior smartphones, but sit somewhere in the middle ground. The quad-core processor with 1 GB of RAM and Android 4.3 operating system ensure that the system runs smoothly at all times. The 5 MP camera is in tune with the price class, while the battery for the device is actually quite good. Considering the price of 199 USD for the 16 GB version, the Moto G offers a great price-performance ratio.


Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 400, Quad-Core, 1.2 GHz
Display	4.5-inch, 1,280 x 720 Pixel, 329 ppi, LCD
RAM	1 GB
Internal storage	8/16 GB
Dimensions	129.9 x 65.9 x 6-11.6 mm (curved back side)
Weight	143 grams
Battery	2,070 mAh
Camera	5 MP (back), 1.3 (front)
Connectivity	GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS/HSPA+, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, GLONASS
Android version	Android 4.3 Jelly Bean
Price	179 USD (8 GB), 199 USD (16 GB)

The Motorola Moto G is one of the best phones of the year, and the first time we’ve seen a phone of this calibre launch at under £200 SIM-free. That it’s so much cheaper than £200 is a minor miracle. This phone deserves to sell by the bucketload.

Nov 18, 2013

All you need to know about Nexus 5
After weeks of speculation, Google and LG have officially announced the Google LG Nexus 5.

LG-Google Nexus 5’s technical specifications –
4.95-inch 1920×1080 display (445 PPI) – Corning Gorilla Glass 3 – Android 4.4
KitKat – Qualcomm Snapdragon 800, 2.3GHz quad-core processor – Adreno 330,
450MHz GPU – 8 megapixel rear camera with optical image stabilisation – 1.3
megapixel front camera – 16GB or 32GB internal storage (actual formatted
capacity will be less) – 2GB RAM – 130 grams weight – 69.17×137.84×8.59 mm –
Dual-band WiFi (24G/5G), 3G/4G LTE – NFC (Android Beam) – Wireless charging –
2300 mAh battery – Standby time up to 300 hours – 16GB for Rs 28,999, 32GB for
Rs 32,999

Read more at: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/google-nexus-5-with-android-44-kitkat-launched-16gb-for-rs-28999-32gb-for-rs-32999/431647-11.html?utm_source=ref_article

Google Nexus 5 is the first to run Android 4.4, which brings a new dialer that automatically suggests people the most likely call while Caller ID by Google matches an incoming phone number to a business even if that number isn’t stored in the contact list. Users can send and receive text messages directly from Hangouts, and Hangouts for Android now supports location sharing.
The 5-inch display makes it suitable to fit in the palm of your hands, but while carrying it in my pocket while walking through San Francisco, it sort of felt like it was out of place — perhaps I’ve grown too accustomed to the fact that I’ve had 3- to 4-inch phones for the past few years. Although you can hold the device in one hand, it doesn’t immediately feel comfortable enough size to manage all your affairs as such. Trying to type out emails or using certain apps required the use of both hands.
Price tag of Rs. 28,999 for the 16GB variant ($349 in the US) and Rs. 32,999 for the 32GB variant ($399 in the US).

Google Nexus 5 technical specifications
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 with 2.26GHz Quad-Core Krait CPU
Operating System: Android 4.4, KitKat
Display: 4.95-inch full-ID IPS (1920 x 1080 pixels)
Network: CDMA/1xRTT/EVDO, GSM/GPRS/EDGE, WCDMA/HSPA+, LTE
Internal storage: 32GB / 16GB
RAM: 2GB
Camera: Rear 8.0-megapixel with OIS / Front 1.3-megapixel HD
Battery: 2,300mAh Li-Polymer (embedded)
Size: 137.84 x 69.17 x 8.59mm
Weight: 130g
Others: Wireless charging, NFC
- The soft touch backside gets fingerprint-tastic, and fast. I had to wipe it almost constantly for our hands on photos. For reference, I’m using the black device and don’t have particularly oily hands.
- With Android 4.4, Google Search is now automatically integrated into every single page of homescreen launcher, and can be triggered by voice through an “Okay, Google” hot keyword. Search is always just there. It’s quite nice.
- Google Now is now always the left-most screen on your homescreen, which is a smart move on Google’s part.
- It’s smooth. Really smooth. Every transition, every fade in – it’s like butter.
- The camera seems above average, but not mind blowing.
- Android 4.4 overhauls the dialer, with the main feature being a knowledge of nearby businesses. Just type a business name into the same field where you’d normally type the first few letters of your friends name, and it pulls up the details for nearby locations. In my early tests, this feature works very well. Typing “Starbucks” pulled up 8+ locations near me (hey, it’s San Francisco), broken down by their location, each offering their phone number at a click. It works in reverse, too; I had one of those Starbucks locations call me, and the phone identified the caller as such. Google says all this data is piped in from Google Maps
- In Google’s HDR+ mode (which takes photos in rapid succession and combines the best parts of each into one photo), the camera can be slow.
- While Android 4.4 is largely focused on optimizations that allows it to run on lower-end devices, there are a number of lil’ subtle changes that really spruce up the place. The top bar and bottom nav bar are both translucent now, allowing the homescreen background to go fullbleed across the screen . The widgets drawer has been moved out from the pop-up app drawer (which always seemed like a weird location), and back to being behind a long press on the home screen (like it was in Android of yesteryear).
Nov 2, 2013
Nokia’s first Windows tablet Lumia 2520

Nokia has expanded its Lumia lineup by introducing a pair of new devices: a larger 6-inch smartphone and an entirely new product for the company, a Windows tablet. Both were revealed at the Finnish company’s Nokia World event in Abu Dhabi. Nokia also made several app announcements for its devices and the Windows Phone platform, the major one involving Instagram — the official word from Nokia is that the photo-sharing app will arrive on Windows-powered mobile devices in “the coming weeks.”
It’s packing LTE, and a 2.2GHz Snapdragon 800 CPU inside, with a bright 10.1-inch 650nit screen made out of Gorilla Glass 2. Nokia showed off a video demonstrating its outdoor readability in sunny Abu Dhabi, bright enough to check out Flipboard on Windows RT. With 1920 x 1080 display viewing angles are great and the brightness is equally impressive. Color reproduction is incredibly accurate, and it’s clear Nokia has really aimed high with the display on its first tablet.It also packs the Storyteller app seen on the 1520, along with a 6.7MP rear camera featuring Zeiss optics and a 2MP front facing camera.

As with other Windows RT devices, Nokia’s tablet gets the entire Microsoft Office RT suite with Word, Excel, Powerpoint and now Outlook. You also get some Nokia exclusives, like Nokia Music and the Nokia HERE maps. The company is also offering its own Nokia Power Keyboard, a wraparound cover that functions as a keyboard and trackpad, and will give the tablet five extra hours of battery life.

While the Surface 2 has its own Touch and Type Covers, Nokia has opted for a Power Keyboard. It adds a Surface-like keyboard and trackpad, alongside two USB ports and a boost of five hours to the battery life. Nokia says the Lumia 2520 should get 11 hours by itself, so it’s possible this device will reach 16 hours in total with the cover attached.

LTE included, the Lumia 2520’s unsubsidized price is $499 in either a red/white glossy finish, or cyan and black matte paintjob when it ships in Q4. Also included are quick charging capabilities that let its 800mAh battery go from drained to 50 percent charge in just 40 minutes. The Nokia Power Keyboard accessory shown above costs an extra $149, and promises an extra five hours of battery life plus two extra USB ports. Check after the break for a full list of specs and a video demo, we’ll have hands-on impressions of the new slate from Nokia World in just a moment.

Oct 24, 2013
Samsung announces Galaxy Round with flexible, curved display
Samsung Electronics Co Ltd on Wednesday launched the world’s first smartphone with a curved display, a variant of the Galaxy Note which moves the Asian giant a step closer to achieving wearable devices with flexible – even unbreakable – screens.

We have seen smartphones in the past with convex curved glass panels, including the Galaxy Nexus, but this new display from Samsung is actually a flexible OLED model. LG is also working on a flexible OLED panel.

Looking at the specifications of the new Galaxy Round, we see it looks to be comparable to the new Note 3 with:
- 5.7 inch full HD Super AMOLED display
- 3GB RAM
- quad-core 2.3 GHz processor
- 13 megapixel camera
- 32GB internal storage
- S Pen functionality
The Galaxy Round is a few grams lighter, likely due to the 2,800 mAh battery rather than the 3,200 mAh one found in the Note 3.

Sony’s 3D viewer is up for pre-orderThe “gravity effect,” promises to expand the role of gestures by rocking the device with a finger to see a music-focused interface that highlights your tunes.

Samsung is taking the physical design of the Galaxy Round and adding software enhancements that include the ability to view information by tilting/rocking the device. You can even control music by pressing down on one side while it rests on a table. The rocking motion plays previous or next tracks.

First Look at Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch

Like many features of Samsung phones, these may be considered gimmicky. Then again, there is a wide range of user experiences and Samsung has been quite successful at targeting a broad market of Android users.

The Galaxy Round will initially be available in Luxury Brown in Korea with more colors and availability soon.
Oct 9, 2013
Apple iPhone 5c only at 99

Apple finally revealed its two new iPhones, the iPhone 5S and the iPhone 5C. As the naming scheme implies, the 5S is the high-end successor to the iPhone 5 and it features (among other things) a snappy new 64-bit A7 processor, an M7 co-processor for tracking motion (you know, for fitness apps), and a Touch ID fingerprint sensor built into the home button. If it weren’t apparent at first glance, the 5S looks nearly identical to the original iPhone 5, though the black and white (sorry, silver) versions are joined by a gold model that was the subject of many a rumor in the weeks leading up to the event. iPhone 5c, a colorful plastic phone that starts at $99.

The new phones arrive September 20th.

Though the new color schemes are flashy — you can get the phone in silver, gold, or a darker space gray — the biggest changes are internal, with a new A7 chip that’s been reengineered for 64-bit architecture. Apple claims this will make the 5s several times faster than its predecessor. The camera has been updated with a new, larger Apple-designed sensor and a host of other features, and as rumored, the home button is now also a fingerprint scanner.

The iPhone 5C will cost $99 for a 16GB model or $199 for a 32 GB model, with contracts. A colorful variety of cases will cost $29. The iPhone 5C will go on sale on Sept. 20, with pre-orders starting on Sept. 13.

Apple has also confirmed the weirdest rumored feature of the iPhone 5s: a fingerprint sensor built right into the home button. Called Touch ID, it’s a substitute for the traditional PIN or password, with a thin capacitive sensor layered on top of the button.

The iPhone 5c features a 4-inch Retina display, A6 chip, and an 8-megapixel iSight camera (the same as the iPhone 5), as well as an improved FaceTime HD camera on the front . Also available are custom, soft-feel rubber slipcases for $29 each based on the iOS7 color scheme. Though it is indeed a cheaper iPhone, the difference is more dramatic on contract; if you want to buy it unlocked, it starts at $549, in comparison to the $649 5s.

Sep 11, 2013
First Look at Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch

Samsung Electronics unveiled its highly anticipated digital wristwatch that can snap photos, track workouts and use an array of apps – gadgetry that the company hopes will catapult it into a market of smart portable devices that leave cellphones in users’ pockets.

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.

Features

– 512 MB of RAM

– Internal memory of 4 GB

– 800-megahertz, single-core CPU

– Weighs 2.6 ounces

– Available colors include lime green, oatmeal beige, wild orange, mocha gray, jet black and rose gold.

The Pros

– 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’s design flair and ease of use are its sweetest attributes. It is sleek, with a thin metallic bezel surrounding the display. The strap comes in six different colors – black, gray, orange, beige, gold and green.

– It is easy to activate the camera and quick to shoot a photo. It left both hands free while placing and answering calls. The full message can also be read. Samsung says replies are possible through voice dictation.

– Easy navigation of the touch screen is one of the device’s biggest pluses.

– Samsung has dispensed with buttons on the screen, so there’s no home or back button.

– One tap anywhere on the screen takes and saves a photo in the Gear and the smartphone that’s paired with it.

– The first generation of the Gear seems to be cool but not compelling enough.

The Cons

– 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 Galaxy Gear may have an intuitive interface, but it is not an independent device, instead a slave which can be used only when it is paired to a smartphone.

– The big disappointment for Samsung gadget owners is that the Gear does not work with most of its phones and tablets. For now the Galaxy Gear can only be paired with the Galaxy Note 3 smartphone and the Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet PC.

– It is priced at about twice the price of the Sony SmartWatch and the Pebble.

– Its 1.9 megapixel camera is said to be of poorer quality than a typical smartphone camera.

– One downside is that the Gear doesn’t support a wireless earpiece, so both sides of any conversation can be overheard.

Sep 6, 2013