August 12th, 2015 is the day Samsung will reportedly unveil their next smartwatch.
Ladies and Gentlemen, be prepared for the Samsung Gear A. or the Orbis as it was previously called. While the incoming smartwatch is certainly an upgrade over their Gear Live smartwatch that was released last year, much of its specifications and features had remained shrouded in mystery, until recently.
Here are the expected key features of the watch, showcased in tabular form.
| Shape of Display Screens | Round/Circular |
| Display | Super AMOLED with 360 x 360 Resolution |
| Screen Size | Unclear as of now (Rumored – 1.65 inch screen) |
| OS | Tizen |
| Processor | Exynos 3472 |
| RAM | 768 MB |
| Memory | 4 GB |
| Special Features | Wi-Fi Chip, Heart Rate Sensor, Barometer, GPS |
| Tells Time | Yes |
While those are fairly decent specs, the smartwatch market is such that no one can accurately pinpoint whether the watch itself is a technological marvel or not.
Tech Appeal
The Heart Rate Sensor and GPS would automatically appeal to fitness freaks and may easily substitute fitness-centric smartwatches like FitBit and others, mainly because of its versatility.
A 4 GB memory was considered pretty satisfactory for a phone not less than a couple of years ago. For a watch, it is indeed more than satisfactory. A problem might be the OS though. Tizen is only compatible with Samsung smartphones, and not any Android phone, and this might diminish the consumer base adversely.
Pricing
While no official price-tag has been released, reports indicate that the price could range from anywhere between 300$ to 500$. With heavy hearts and lighter wallets, it is your call whether to but this or not.
Who will come out on top?
While Apple and Huawei pose competition in the smartwatch segment, the fact that Apple has terrible GPS support, and that Huawei doesn’t enjoy the same brand reliability as Samsung and Apple do, means that it is very probable that Samsung might win the Great Smartwatch War of 2015.
The Problem with the Smartwatch Sector
The smartwatch segment has failed to take off in a big way. In fact, this is Samsung’s 7th smartwatch release. The first one was a spectacular failure. However, with the likes of Apple and Huawei venturing into the market, the competition has risen and each year throws up more and more surprises in the smartphone segment.
The smartwatch sector seems to suffer from the same affliction as that of the 3D Television sector. Everyone thinks that both of these things are extremely futuristic and cool, but are simply too expensive and unnecessary at the same time.
Smartwatches have failed to replace mobile phones as the go to device for a variety of reasons. The production cost of such watches is very high, and this cost is transferred to the customers, who would rather buy a high end phone than a watch.
Also, the technology pertaining to smartwatches is still in a fledgling state. We have not yet reached the pinnacle of smartwatch technology, and there is a long way to go.
Thankfully, efforts by companies like Samsung, Apple and Huawei go a long way in taking this technology forward. Perhaps, in a few decades, I would be dictating an article about the latest smartwatch to my all new Wristatron-3000 (Professional Edition).
Until then, I would advise everyone to keep their eyes open for new developments in this sector.
Verdict
The watch is certainly at par, if not better, with its counterparts in the same sector. While it has more features than its iOS and the Huawei watch, its pricing might be a cause for concern. However, if you are one of those who like futuristic technology, then go ahead and lighten your wallet with a heavy heart.
After all, if Jon Snow can die for the watch, then so can you.
