Galaxy Gear Gets Social With Integrated Apps

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Samsung revealed the Galaxy Gear today, the smartwatch that brings Samsung into the arm race.

Like the smartphone you keep in your pocket, the Galaxy Gear will integrate social applications that can be operated from your wrist. Path, Highlight, Evernote and Glympse are among the first group of apps integrated with Galaxy Gear.

The smartwatch is similar in size to a typical watch and features include a touch screen and camera that captures photos with a tap.  A square screen that's smaller than a smartphone's provides a different user experience, and the Galaxy Gear uses Bluetooth technology to stay connected to a user's Samsung Galaxy devices.

Path users will be able to share their photos, location and give feedback to friends directly from the Galaxy Gear, as well as receive notifications. The wearable device uses near field communication (NFC) technology to load Path from the smartwatch to a nearby phone if the user does not yet have Path downloaded on the watch.

 

The Highlight application provides users with a bird's-eye view of people in the area and individual profiles can be browsed directly on the smartwatch. Users can also look back through their daily history and tap friend's images to say hello and check out images that were posted near to their location. Highlight's "handshake memory," a feature exclusive to the watch, records where and when you meet someone when you both shake hands while wearing Galaxy Gear devices.

The Evernote Watch application enables users to capture audio and visual notes directly with the smartwatch, according to T3.

Glympse, a location-sharing application, allows users to send a Glympse to friends and share their location in real-time. Users can see their movements on a map and receive and view Glympse messages or respond to location requests.

Over 70 applications will be available on the wearable device, the Verge reports.  While some of the apps will be aimed towards the quantified self, it's apparent that many Gear apps will follow the social path, not a bad plan for a wearable device.

Images courtesy of Path and Highlight.

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