News + Trends
Samsung at MWC - all guns blazing on fibre optics, 5G and the Internet of Things
by Dominik Bärlocher
IFA before IFA: Samsung shows new smartwatch, headphones and tracker
30.8.2017
Translation: machine translated
The first news to reach us from Berlin are the announcements from the Samsung press conference on Thursday evening. However, the South Korean company is not showing a new smartphone, but new wearables.
The International Consumer Electronics Fair (IFA) in Berlin doesn't start until next Friday, 1 September, but the first news from the German capital is already coming in. Holding a press conference now makes little sense, as only a few members of the international trade press have already landed in Berlin. The logic behind the premature press conference is probably that Samsung is afraid that their new devices will be lost in the hustle and bustle of the trade fair if they are not the first to present them.
Well, Samsung was the first to present. So what's new? Does the company, which has been the world's largest chip manufacturer since June, have to worry about its products going under?
Gear Sport: the smartwatch for athletes
Samsung calls its latest smartwatch stylish and minimalist. With a Super AMOLED screen measuring 1.2 inches in diameter - just over three centimetres - the device should be of particular interest to athletes. The robustness of the watch is said to be "military grade", meaning it meets the high standards of an army. The Gear Sport is water-resistant to a depth of 50 metres.
Furthermore, the straps are interchangeable. As the Gear Sport is compatible with standard 20mm straps, users are not just reliant on Samsung's straps, but can attach pretty much any strap from any watch to the smartwatch. The watch itself will be available in black and blue.
The Gear Sport is part of Samsung's aggressive strategy to build an ecosystem with Samsung devices at the centre. The smartwatch can interact with Samsung's infrastructure. This infrastructure is also compatible with all open Internet of Things standards. In other words: where there is an open API, there is the Gear Sport. Among other things, it should be possible to remotely control a PowerPoint presentation with the watch. In addition, integration with the music streaming service Spotify and the sports brand Under Armour - operator of the nutrition platform MyFitnessPal - has finally been achieved. The latter in particular is a step in the right direction, as Samsung tried to set up its own database with the launch of the Gear S3, but it never came close to the MyFitnessPal database.
Gear Fit2 Pro: The fitness tracker that's just a bit of a smartwatch
A smartwatch alone is not enough for Samsung. With the Gear Fit2 Sport, the manufacturer has presented a device whose name is somewhat difficult to pronounce, but which impresses at first glance. Many of the features are the same as those of the Gear Sport.
- Waterproof up to 50 metres
- Improved heart rate monitor
- Compatibility with MyFitnessPal and other services
- Automatic activity detection
- Freely configurable fitness goals
- Super AMOLED display
However, the display is much smaller and the shape resembles a wristband rather than a watch. It will be available in black and red.
Gear IconX: The question of "why?"
As the latest innovation, Samsung has unveiled the IconX wireless headphones. "They already exist," I hear you thinking. That's right. They already exist. But this is the new version, with a massive update. In addition to the features of the first IconX, the 2018 IconX will also be compatible with Bixby, Samsung's personal assistant.
Here it will be difficult for the German-speaking Swiss to find a "must have" argument. Because Bixby will probably never be available in Swiss German, which can only justify the purchase in terms of sound quality. I hope this has also been improved. Because only with improved battery performance and Bixby will the IconX have a hard time in Switzerland.
Unless you like pink in-ear headphones. Then the IconX are a good choice. In addition to black and white, they will also be available in a pink version.
Journalist. Author. Hacker. A storyteller searching for boundaries, secrets and taboos – putting the world to paper. Not because I can but because I can’t not.
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