Samsung was one of the first consumer electronics giants to dive head-first into the world of wearables with its own line of Smartwatches, starting with the Gear. The original Gear that initially ran on Android, now runs on Tizen, and Samsung’s already iterated on it a couple of times, with the Gear 2, the Gear Fit, the new Gear S, all variations and experiments on the hot new market.
But then Android Wear happened, with Samsung announced as one of the partners. Rival LG had already announced its first Watch, but Samsung waited until IO to announce their first smartwatch that will work across all Android devices, not just Samsung ones, the Gear Live. The Gear Live, the stripped down Android variant of the Gear 2, joins the other Wear watches, in the effort to appeal to consumers willing to invest in a new category of devices. With Android Wear as the platform of choice, does the hardware push the boundaries, or does it play a safe losing game? Let’s find out.
