Alexandra Burlacu
Samsung has offered more details regarding support for its new Galaxy Gear smartwatch, listing the devices that will get the necessary Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update.
The company unveiled its smartwatch in early September along with the new Galaxy Note 3, but the Galaxy Gear was only compatible with the new phablet. Samsung promised to add support so more devices could work with the smartwatch and now it has detailed which devices will get a firmware upgrade.
"Extending Galaxy Gear compatibility to more devices reflects our deep commitment to continuing to deliver enriched mobile experiences to our consumers," said JK Shin, Samsung Electronics CEO and President of IT & Mobile Division, in a press release on Wednesday, Oct. 23. "Through a significant effort to enhance and enrich the Galaxy experience, Samsung continues to empower our users in their mobile lives and enable smart freedom with Galaxy Gear."
Devices running the latest Android 4.3 Jelly Bean have Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) and can support the Galaxy Gear. Samsung has now officially confirmed which devices will get the much-awaited update. The latest Jelly Bean flavor has already started rolling out to the Galaxy S4 and it will also reach the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2, as previously rumored.
A separate software update scheduled for the end of October will make the Galaxy Gear compatible with the Galaxy S4 Mini, Galaxy S4 Active, Galaxy Mega 5.8, Galaxy Mega 6.3, and Galaxy S4 Zoom. Samsung does note, however, that rollout schedules for the software update for each device will vary by country and carrier.
It remains unclear at this point whether that "separate software update" that will roll out at the end of this month to the extra devices listed will be Android 4.3 as well, or some tweaked version of the software adjusted specifically for Galaxy Gear compatibility.
What is clear is that both the Samsung Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2 should receive the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean firmware in the coming weeks. The new software update will bring a slew of new features to the devices, many of which will be borrowed from the Galaxy S4.
Other features that will come along with the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update include Samsung's KNOX security suite, Smart Switch, Home Sync, as well as Group Play 2.5 with shared video support.
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