Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch launched in India at Rs. 22,990

Samsung has launched its first wearable tech device, the Galaxy Gear smartwatch in India for Rs. 22,990, and it will arrive on Indian retail shelves on September 25. Unlike previous expectations from the pre-order availability of the Galaxy Gear and the Galaxy Note 3, Samsung has confirmed there is no bundled package of both devices available with a reduced price.

(Also see: Samsung Galaxy Note 3 launched in India at Rs. 49,900, available September 25)

The Galaxy Gear smartwatch was launched alongside the Galaxy Note 3 at IFA 2013. The smartwatch features a 1.63-inch (4.14 cm) OLED display. The Galaxy Gear smartwatch also features S Voice and can presently only work with the Galaxy Note 3 and the Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition, a tablet which was also launched at IFA 2013. However, the company claims that soon the smartwatch will soon be compatible with other Galaxy smartphones like Galaxy S4, Galaxy SIII and Galaxy Note II. It can make calls, display messages, record videos and snap photos with its 1.9-megapixel camera.

Samsung's Galaxy Gear smartwatch comes with 70 apps initially, as per the company, which include apps for basic fitness such as a step-counting passometer, although Samsung hopes this number will grow as developers get on board. The battery life, a key challenge for most wearable devices, is said to be around 27 hours under Samsung's normal-use tests.

Earlier, Samsung's first wearable tech device went up for pre-orders with the Galaxy Note 3.

Samsung also launched the third iteration of the Note, the Galaxy Note 3 in India for Rs. 49,900.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 comes with a 5.7-inch full-HD Super AMOLED display, but weighing at 168g and 8.33m wide, is both lighter and slimmer than its predecessor.

It is powered by 1.9GHz octa-core processor and a 3GB of RAM and a 13-megapixel rear camera alongside 2-megapixel front camera. It is powered by 3,200mAh battery and runs Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. The Galaxy Note 3 will be available in 32GB and 64GB variants. Both variants come with support for up to 64GB of additional external storage. Connectivity options on the Note 3 include Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, GPS/ GLONASS, NFC, Bluetooth v4.0 (LE), IR, and MHL 2.0.

Nissan launches Nismo smart watch

Nissan has reportedly launched a smart watch that monitors performance of both the vehicle and the driver.

The smart watch called Nissan Nismo measures the wearer's heart rate, temperature and other biometrics along with tracking the car's performance, including average, speeds and fuel consumption.

According to the BBC, experts believe the watch could be an important step towards greaterconnectivity in cars as connectivity is the new battleground for car manufacturers.

The Nismo watch can be connected to the car's on-board computer system and provide data on vehicle performance and users can also receive tailored messages from Nissan through the gadget.

Marketing communications general manager at Nissan, Europe, Gareth Dunsmore said that wearable technology is fast becoming the next big thing and Nissan wants to take advantage of this innovative technology.

Editor-in-chief of What Car?, Chas Hallett, said that car connected watched could be even more useful than those offered by consumer electronic firms.

The Nissan Nismo smartwatch comes in three colours, can be controlled by two buttons on the screen and has a battery life of around a week, the report added.