The wearable market is facing lackluster demand for now, but device makers are still planning new gadgets to breathe new life into the scene. Samsung is expected to launch a Gear S3 successor this summer, and the Gear S4 or Galaxy Watch, however it might be called, keeps leaking ahead of the official unveiling. The latest information that surfaced online regarding the upcoming Gear S4 now reveals that the upcoming smartwatch will have an impressive battery life, significantly better than its predecessor. And that says a lot, since the Gear S3 already offered two-day battery life on a single charge.
For reference, Samsung’s Gear Sport had a 300mAh capacity battery and the Gear S3 had a 380mAh capacity battery. According to the latest leak, the upcoming Gear S4 will have a notably larger 470mAh capacity battery, so it should last for roughly three days or so. The highly anticipated Gear S3 successor could make its formal debut at the same event as the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 9, sometime in early August. The smartwatch could launch in two sizes to accommodate different needs and preferences, which should make it easier for those with smaller wrists to get a smartwatch that fits them well.
Recent rumors also indicate that the Samsung Gear S4 will come in three color options – Black, Silver, and Gold – and will have LTE support. It remains unclear whether all versions will have LTE support, or whether Samsung will offer Wi-Fi-only and Wi-Fi + LTE versions. In terms of software, the Gear S4 is still expected to run Samsung’s Tizen OS, despite some earlier rumors claiming that it would run Google’s Wear OS, previously known as Android Wear. Tizen doesn’t have the same prowess as Wear OS when it comes to applications, but it’s a decent platform that should be able to deliver a good experience overall.
In addition to a larger battery, the upcoming Gear S4/ Galaxy Watch is expected to sport several other improvements over its predecessor, albeit the design could remain largely unchanged. No additional information is available at this point, but more details will surely surface closer to launch.