The $299 Gear watch is not a phone. It’s an accessory for the Galaxy Note 3. At the moment that is the only device it links up to. It does not even link other Samsung’s Galaxy smartphones and tablets. You can receive a call, text message or e-mail but only if you have anther Samsung device. The Gear will begin shipping to 140 countries on Sept. 25. The U.S. and Japan won’t get the Gear until October.
Galaxy Gear has a 320 x 320-pixel, 1.63-inch AMOLED touchscreen. The Gear also has a 800MHz processor, a 315mAh battery, and a BSI sensor and autofocus lens mounted in the wrist strap. The watch can also take 1.9-megapixel stills and 10-second video clips at 720p, 640 x 640 or VGA resolution with sound. The Gear is pre-installed with an app called Memographer. The app store and Samsung’s ad budget should set it apart from the competition.