Smartphone maker Samsung confirmed on Wednesday that it would begin rolling-out the new software update that would allow five more Galaxy devices to become compatible with Galaxy Gear smartwatch by the end of this month.
"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.
"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," he added.
The Galaxy handsets due to receive the update are Galaxy S4 Mini, S4 Active, Mega 5.8, Mega 6.3 and S4 Zoom. They are expected to get a separate software update by the end of October, but the roll-out schedule is subject to vary in different regions, said the company.
With the announcement, 10 Galaxy devices will be compatible with the new Galaxy Gear smartwatch soon. When Samsung announced Galaxy Gear in September, many critics panned the South Korean firm as its expensive (₹22,900, MRP in India) flagship wearable device was compatible with only two devices - Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Note 10.1 - 2014 Edition.
So far, Samsung has released Android v4.3 Jelly Bean OS update to 2013 marquee smartphone Galaxy S4-LTE variant in Europe (Germany) and 3G models in Asia (Russia & India). The 2012 flagship models - Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2, are already in line to receive the new firmware.
Samsung has also released the official change-log of Android v4.3 Jelly Bean OS update. Apart from Galaxy Gear compatibility, the new firmware will bring in new improvements which include:
- Texting input in the phone with ease
- Updated graphics and multimedia features
- New security app Samsung Knox, whereby people will now have the ability to remotely track and disable their lost phones.
- Smart Switch which transfers contents from other smartphones to Samsung devices.
- Home Sync app to enable users safely share content online.
- Group Play v2.5 with shared video support
