Samsung’s smartwatch design revealed ahead of launch

Samsung's Galaxy Gear smartwatch the wrist-mounted connectivity device that was confirmed in March is due to launch on 4 September.

However, despite the South Korean company's traditional secrecy around product launches, images of what claim to be the finished product have appeared online.

Technology news site VentureBeat claims to have had a first look at the device, which it reportedly received from an anonymous Samsung insider.

While no actual photos of the smartwatch have been made available, the website has published what it claims are stills from internal marketing videos.

The electronics giant had manage to keep most of the details of the Galaxy Gear under wraps until specs were leaked to AmongTech late in August.

The reporter claims it is more of a fitness device than anything else, bringing to mind Nike+'s take on wearable technology.

According to VentureBeat, Galaxy Gear features an integrated 4-megapixel camera, voice command functionality, preloaded social media and health apps, call logging and over 10 hours of battery life.

Wearable technology is being hailed as the next big thing in consumer technology. Nike+ has been a pioneer in this field.

Nevertheless, the technology has also sparked concerns around data security and privacy.

The Telegraph has reported that popular health and fitness-focused third-party apps, such as WebMD and MapMyFitness, have been selling personal information collected through the apps to insurance and pharmaceutical companies.

However, the companies that own the apps have denied the allegations.

Jane McCallion
Deputy Editor

Jane McCallion is ITPro's deputy editor, specializing in cloud computing, cyber security, data centers and enterprise IT infrastructure. Before becoming Deputy Editor, she held the role of Features Editor, managing a pool of freelance and internal writers, while continuing to specialise in enterprise IT infrastructure, and business strategy.

Prior to joining ITPro, Jane was a freelance business journalist writing as both Jane McCallion and Jane Bordenave for titles such as European CEO, World Finance, and Business Excellence Magazine.