Samsung Announces Galaxy Gear Smartwatch

Samsung has finally unveiled the Galaxy Gear smartwatch.

The South Korean tech giant said that the watch would represent the next great frontier in consumer gadgets.

Making its announcement at IFA in Berlin, Samsung said that watches would help its users live their lives better - and stay more connected than ever.

The smartwatch allows users to access email, text and even make phone calls - without touching their mobile.

It features speakers and microphones, meaning people speak into and hear from the device on their wrist instead of a handset. The device features a 1.63-inch 320 x 320 pixels screen, a built in camera and more than 70 apps at launch.

Runkeeper, MyFitnessPal and Evernote are all involved at launch with apps that work on the device.

Pranav Mistry, head of Think Tank Team at Samsung Research America, showed off Galaxy Gear during a presentation at the Berlin IFA today, which was live streamed to Times Square in New York.

Mistry said: "This is an exciting time for all of us at Samsung.

"We have created something incredible. You don't need to get your phone out anymore.Gear takes the entirety of your digital world and places it right where you can see."

Currently it will only work in conjunction with the also-announced-at-IFA Galaxy Note 3 phablet. The Galaxy S4 will follow soon after.

The device also has a speaker, Bluetooth 4.0, an accelerometer and gyroscope, 4GB of storage and 512MB of RAM. It will cost about £192 ($300) when it goes on sale in September.

The watch, which comes in six colours, is comfortable enough to be worn all day, Mistry said.

Users switch it on with a swipe, which unlocks features including apps, contacts, a camera and email.

Incoming messages - such as calls, alerts and emails - show up on the smartwatch and can be accessed on the wrist.

Alternatively, "smart relay" technology means the message will automatically load with a linked larger device, such as a tablet or smartphone.

Take a look at how it works, above.