Samsung Announces Gear S Tizen-Powered Smartwatch with 3G Radio

Samsung is doubling down on Tizen for its wearable products and has announced a new variant of its Gear smartwatch in the Gear S, now featuring a built-in 3G radio to support full messaging and voice calling. The Gear S features a 2-inch, curved Super AMOLED display at 360 x 480 resolution as well as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi radios. Samsung also claims the watch can transition between cellular and Bluetooth connections seamlessly so that it can function with and without a smartphone. It also features Samsung’s S Voice service for voice command and control, along with an on-screen virtual keyboard for messaging.

Other features include Samsung’s S Health and fitness app support, music player and gallery apps, and the ability to receive notifications from a variety of first and third-party services. The Gear S is powered by a dual-core 1GHz Samsung Exynos series processor with 512MB of RAM and 4GB of storage with a 300mAh battery, which Samsung claims is good for two days of usage per charge and will be available in global markets beginning in October.