Samsung first announced the Gear A smartwatch on its developer website, which showed a teaser image and a tagline that says "Get ready for the next Gear." The upcoming wearable will be the company's first take in the round-shaped category of smartwatches.
With the Gear A being the company's first round smartwatch, Samsung wants to ensure that the upcoming wearable is as perfect as originally planned. The company says the smartwatch will introduce a brand new user interaction method delivered by the wearable's rotating bezel ring. Its main design aspect is the circular display that gives it the look and feel of a regular wristwatch.
"We are collaborating with our global partners to provide a better Samsung Gear experience for users," says Samsung upon releasing an SDK for its next Gear smartwatch. "We welcome more developers to join us on this journey."
Sources say the Gear A smartwatch, also known as Orbis, will be unveiled with the Galaxy Note 5, which is slated to occur at the IFA event. Other reports state that the company has been engaging in a number of discussions to finally come up with a more solid time frame.
According to the developers site, the Samsung Gear A will come in two versions. One will be solely dependent on Bluetooth and Wi-Fi while the other will feature 3G and calling capabilities.
The round-shaped design is an indication of the company's attempt to rival the likes of the G Watch R and the Moto 360. It also shows that the wearable is a departure from the rectangular look of the Gear S.
The new design of the upcoming smartwatch from Samsung could also be the company's way of responding to a comment made by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak. In the summer of last year, Wozniak allegedly called Samsung's Galaxy Gear "worthless."
"I want my smartphone here, but I really want the whole thing ... I don't want just a little Bluetooth connection to the smartphone in my pocket because then it's just an intermediary, an extra thing I buy to get what I already have and have to carry anyway," says Wozniak.
While it is true that Samsung has delayed the launch of the Gear A in order to ensure that its product will be perfect when it hits the market, there's a different angle that analysts see in the decision. Perhaps Samsung wants to give the market some time to "relax" from the frenzy brought by the Apple Watch, which is no doubt one of Apple's most awaited products of the year.
Just like the Apple Watch, the Gear A will sport a crown-shaped button, albeit with a type of functionality that's entirely different from the former. Some of the specs expected in the wearable include a built-in camera and sensors that the user can utilize for image, object and barcode recognition. Other purported features include heart rate monitor, wireless charging, Exynos 14nm processor and the possibility to use the wearable as a key to one's car and as a TV remote.
