Samsung just updated its mobile product pipeline in Barcelona. Without a break, the company revealed the Galaxy S5, Gear 2, Gear Nano and Gear Fit. The Galaxy S5 has a slightly larger-but-still 5.1-inch screen with the same resolution (1902x1080) as its predecessors, a never-changed plastic body but featuring dust and water resistance.
S5 also comes bundled with some new technologies like the fingerprint scan and heart rate monitor: the finger print sensor not only unlocks the phone screen, but also links up with the Paypal app so you can make online transactions with your fingerprint (way ahead of Apple!).
The flashlight-like thing under the camera is actually a heart rate sensor. Hmmm, who doesn’t want that! Samsung didn’t give us a compelling reason for why it might be important; it just simply said “it’s the industry-first.” Well, at least it’s trying to shake off the “SAMESUNG” nickname.
Samsung’s smart watch is slightly different however, or maybe a bit less disappointing. Samsung launched 3 upgraded smart watches: Gear 2, Gear Nano and Gear Fit. And the biggest improvement is that Samsung ran its entire wearable product line on Tizen OS, not Android anymore.
The winning product from this batch of releases could be the Gear Fit. You can tell the usage from its name, but the sleek outlines and UI could make it the next gen flagship smart watch, not just a fitness wristband.
It is believed that the Gear Fit could cut off a serious piece of cake from the smart watch market dominated by Pebble and Jawbone, but it all depends on the price, and that’s probably the reason why Samsung didn’t announce the price along with the product announcement.
If there’s one thing that Samsung should copy from Apple, it is to announce the product, showcase the features, then tell us how much it is and when can we get it. So how much would you pay for a Gear Fit?
