IFA 2014 is just around the corner and people are expecting a wide range of new devices to be in attendance. Now that wearable devices are gaining popularity, it's no wonder why smartwatches would be given a bigger angle under the spotlight. While several models seem to enter the market every once in a while, nothing can ever compare to those names which people have already become familiar with. With this in mind, fans of Samsung, LG, Motorola and Sony are sure to grace the event just to show their undying support.
The Gear S is Samsung's latest flagship smartwatch. It's a 3G wearable that is independent of a smartphone in order to function. It runs on a dual-core 1GHz processor and boasts of a curved Super AMOLED screen of 2 inches with a resolution of 480 by 360 pixels. Other features include call facility, turn by turn pedestrian navigation by Nokia's HERE, WiFi, Bluetooth, RAM of 512 MB, internal memory of 4GB, and a battery of 300 mAh.
LG's Android Wear-based G Watch R appears more like a traditional watch with its 1.3 inch plastic OLED display and an interchangeable calf skin leather strap of 22mm. It will also have health and fitness tracking functions and an embedded heartbeat sensor. It runs on Android Wear and features a 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor, 4GB storage, memory of 512MB and 410mAh battery. Price is now reduced from $229 to $179.
The Moto 360 by Motorola was announced in March together with Android Wear. The company promised that shipment shall commence at summer time which should translate into the next couple of weeks. It is said to sport a 1.5 inch screen and built with water and dust resistance technology. Health buffs would also be delighted with the wearable's integrated heart-rate monitor. Approximate retail price is set at $249.
Sony, a veteran in the field of smartwatches, is also expected to reveal its latest model at IFA. Knowing that Android Wear has a strong momentum, it is highly expected that Sony will integrate the Google platform on its upcoming device. Just recently, a photo of its upcoming SmartWatch 3 was leaked. The image showed that the upcoming SmartWatch 3 will have a display of 1.68" and a resolution of 320 by 320. It will bear an IP58 certification underneath its strap.
The smartwatch market is still in an infancy stage but it's a vast space that continues to attract manufacturers to come up with their own models and versions. Surely, it brings a lot of opportunities both for developers aiming to tap a wider market and for consumers who are looking for innovative features to match their health and lifestyle demands.
