It wasn’t long ago now that we saw rumours that Samsung would jump on board the Android Wear platform. Well, it seems that rumour is gathering a fair bit of momentum. Samsung is rumoured to be launching a product called ‘Samsung Gear Live’, with the wraps being taken off tomorrow morning at Google I/O 2014.
Not only do we have a name, but we’ve even got some specs! Somewhat similar to a Samsung Gear 2 Neo, the specs include a 1.63″ screen, which is similar in size to LG’s G Watch, however the resolution is higher at 320×320 (compared to LG’s 280×280). Inside, a 1.2GHz CPU will run the show, with 512 MB of RAM and 4 GB of on-watch storage. The 300 mAh battery rumoured to be inside is definitely on the smaller side, and is a good 100 mAh lower than that rumoured to be in the G Watch.
The Gear Live is, as Juan Carlos Torres has aptly noted, an unexpected turn of events. Samsung have steadfastly stuck with their Tizen smartwatch platform, even after the Android Wear announcement, and have remained mum on the topic of an Android Wear based addition to the Gear range. Samsung has definitely been the manufacturer to have a finger in every pie, with smartphones and tablets with a full range of specifications, sizes and intended uses. With this in mind, it’s hardly surprising that Samsung would like to ensure they’re part of the expected interest in Android Wear as well.
We’ll hopefully find out in tomorrow’s keynote whether Samsung’s Gear Live is to be, or whether it’s an elaborate hoax. Stay tuned for our live coverage from 2.am eastern.
Samsung were named as a partner when Android Wear was announced, so this is not unexpected.
As Sir Humphrey said…. You have to get behind someone to stab them in the back!