Samsung's Galaxy Gear is coming to the S4, S III and others

If you thought you could just buy Samsung’s Galaxy Gear Smartwatch and instantly become cool like Dick Tracy, you’d be in for a pretty rude surprise upon unpacking your new peripheral device. You’ll first have to pair your smartwatch to a compatible phone before you can begin sleuthing. Until today, your options were limited to a Galaxy Note III, but Samsung has announced that it’s finally expanding the Galaxy Gear’s lineup of compatible devices.  

The company is pushing an Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update to Galaxy S4, S III and Note II devices, which will enable compatibility with the new Galaxy Gear Smartwatch. According to a press release, the Jelly Bean update was first made available to German Galaxy S4 owners earlier this month and will presumably start making its way stateside shortly, although the company notes that update schedules will vary by device and country.

In addition, Samsung will be extending compatibility to a number of additional devices via an update slated for the end of October. This will cover the Galaxy S4 Mini, S4 Active, Mega 5.8, Mega 6.3 and S4 Zoom.

"Extending Galaxy Gear compatibility to more Galaxy devices reflects our deep commitment to continuing to deliver enriched mobile experiences to our consumers," said JK Shin, CEO and president of IT & mobile division, Samsung Electronics in a press statement. "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."

Reviews for Samsung’s Galaxy Gear have been lukewarm so far. While some have praised its industrial-inspired design, it’s been noted that the four screws featured prominently at the edges of the watch face are hardly in line with the aesthetics of devices like the S4 and Note III, which are far more streamlined. More importantly, the Smartwatch is not especially smart. It lacks support for e-mail or social networks and the only input method is a poorly implemented voice control system. These shortcomings are all compounded by the device’s $300 price tag, which has been ridiculed almost universally.