DHAKA: Just two weeks after the global announcement of Galaxy Gear and Galaxy Note 3, Samsung launched the two devices in India.
While the Galaxy Note 3 has been priced at Rs 49,900 , the Galaxy Gear, which is a smartwatch, will be sold at a price of Rs 22,990. Note 3 and Gear will be available to consumers on September 25, though they can preorder it after paying Rs 2,000 at a web store managed by Samsung.
Note 3 is a successor to Galaxy Note 2, which was launched last year and was received very well in the market. The new Note has a 5.7-inch screen with a SuperAMOLED panel. It has the FullHD resolution with 1920 x 1080 pixels.
It is the first smartphone to pack in 3GB RAM. It comes with 32GB internal storage as well as supports microSD card. While the body is made of plastic, in a first for a Samsung smartphone, the back cover uses a leather-like material to give it a more premium finish. The device sports a primary camera that can shoot 13MP images while the front camera comes with a tag of 2MP.
Note 3 weighs 168 grams. The Indian version of the device is powered by Exynos Octa 5420 processor. The processor has two set of cores. One set of four cores based on A15 architecture runs at 1.9GHz.
The other set of low-performance cores based on A7 architecture runs at 1.3GHz. For now the processor can utilize only one set of cores at a time. But Samsung is likely to release a software patch by the end of this year that will make device use all 8 cores in various combinations for the best balance between performance and battery life.
Note 3 processor features the next-generation Mali chip called T628, which is one of the fastest mobile graphics chips at the moment.
But the highlight of the device is its multi-functional stylus. When used in combination with special software features, the stylus in Note 3 not only allows a user to scribble their thoughts into the notepad app but also offers additional options for better multitasking and switching between apps.
Samsung said it is expecting the Note 3 to contribute significantly to its bottom line during this festival season. Note 3 will be available with special EMI schemes from day one. However, for now Samsung has not planned any exchange offer for the device.
"Galaxy Note 3 represents the next evolution of Note experience. It meets the needs of consumers for a larger screen, makes everyday life easier with the S Pen... It is slimmer, lighter, and more powerful," said Vineet Taneja, country head for Samsung Mobile & It.
With Galaxy Gear, meanwhile, the Korean company is hoping to get in front of others in the area of wearable computing devices, which are expected to be part of the next big technology wave. Gear is a smartwatch with 1.63 inches SuperAMOLED screen.
It has a single core 800MHz processor, 512MB RAM and 4GB internal storage. One of the big features of the watch is a 1.9MP camera that will allow a user to shoot images with a flick of his wrist.
The smartwatch will allow users to receive or make calls. It will also show them notifications from social media apps. It has a gyroscope, accelerometer and pedometer, which makes it suitable for tasks like monitoring of physical activity of a user in real time. Samsung said that a number of native apps will be available for Gear.
The device currently works with Note 3 and Galaxy Note 10.1 (2014 edition), which will be launched in India in the coming weeks. Samsung said that support for additional devices, including Galaxy S4, will be added at a later date.
Gear is a new type of device. To make sure that consumers understand it and utilize it properly, Samsung is planning to demo the watch at its retail stores extensively. The company has also decided to feature and highlight Gear in all Note 3 advertisements and promotions to showcase its utility when paired a smartphone.
Source: ToI
BDST: 2101 HRS. SEP 17, 2013
GR/RIS
