The Next Gear detailed in new developer tools for codename Orbis smartwatch
Samsung has just spilled some incredibly juicy details on “The Next Gear”, the title it is using for the smartwatch otherwise known as the Samsung Orbis or the Samsung Gear A.
The spec details of the much anticipated round smartwatch were revealed within the official SDK (the software kit that Sammy wants devs to use to knock up apps) for the new device.
We already knew that the watch would be round – that much was all but confirmed with the announcement of the SDK last month. But now we have some meat for the murmur bones.
Most notably, the rumoured rotating bezel is definitely on board. Much like the Apple Watch’s digital crown, the bezel adds some physical controls to the touchscreen setup. It can be used for a wide range of navigation actions including scrolling, zooming and adjusting levels such as volumes and brightness.
The display is Samsung’s most dense, pixel-wise, to date – with the 1.18-inch, 360 x 360, screen measuring 305pi. The Gear S has a ppi count of 300.
The watch will also include the usual array wearable sensors such as an accelerometer, a gyroscope and a heart-rate monitor. In terms of connectivity, there’s Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and cellular on board; although it’s only 2G and not 3G, so we’re not expecting a standalone device.
The next Samsung Gear smartwatch is expected to be officially announced at IFA 2015 in September. Be sure to bookmark our ever-evolving guide to the device codenamed the Orbis for all the big updates.
