Samsung launches four products in one day

Samsung has stepped up the consumer war with Apple by launching four products in a single day.

The Korean company has launched its latest smartphone, the Galaxy S5, which is waterproof, as well as three smartwatches.

The Gear 2, Gear 2 Neo, and Gear Fit are all now available, greatly expanding and strengthening Samsung’s position within the wearable technology market. All three are available for £250 (€300) or less.

Apple has long been rumoured to be planning a smartwatch of its own, but now it will have four Samsung wearables to do battle with, among others.

Andy Betts, editor of Android Magazine, believes the launch cements Samsung’s place at the top of the smartphone market.

He said: “The Galaxy S5 is not a massive upgrade over last year’s S4, but what has been improved should be more than enough to ensure that Samsung retains its dominance of the Android market.

“With an improved camera, much longer battery life, and water resistance, Samsung has targeted areas that, while not necessarily producing eye-catching headlines, will deliver real benefits for users.”

Betts did sound a word of warning for the tech giant if it wants to retain its current position. “Samsung’s watches look like the best to have hit the market to date. But they only work with Samsung devices, and only a limited selection of those. We can expect a glut of wearables to launch over the coming months so Samsung will need to do a lot more to ensure it remains competitive.”

The watches have been designed to offer more focus on health and well-being, with fitness tracking a big part of each, including the exercise-dedicated Fit.

The key new features on the Galaxy S5 smartphone also include an emphasis on health and well-being with apps to link with wearables to track movement, as well as a faster processor that improves response time when using the device.

Samsung has also made the S5 water and dust-proof, as well as introducing a fingerprint scanner in a similar vain to Apple’s Touch ID.

Jeff Parsons, news editor at technology magazine T3, said Samsung “has thrown everything into the Galaxy S5, including the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad core processor, a fingerprint scanner, and a dazzling AMOLED 5.1-inch screen”.

He added: What’s more, the camera is much imp-roved and the interface feels cleaner and less cluttered. It’s undoubtedly going to be a very, very popular phone. Over to you, Apple.”

Apple is expected to unveil the next generation of iPhone later this year, complete with its own take on the health market, as well as potentially moving into the wearable market with its own smartwatch, which has been rumoured for several years.