Samsung has entered the newly-emerging smartwatch market by unveiling its multi-function timepiece, the Galaxy Gear. It is a digital watch with a difference. Wearers can make telephone calls, receive emails and take photographs. It can also run dozens of Android apps on its 1.6-inch screen. Users navigate through different screens and functions using swipes. What's more, it comes in a range of vibrant colours that add a sci-fi feel to its stainless steel body. The device will be on sale from September 25th and comes with a $299 price tag. Samsung beat its main competitor Apple to the market. Industry insiders expect Apple to reveal details of its smartwatch within a week or two.

Analysts have had mixed reactions to the Galaxy Gear. Jack Gold of J. Gold Associates suggests the product is overpriced. He said Samsung would need to price it at under $100 to get mass-market appeal. He added: "At $300, that's probably as much as most people will pay for a phone itself." Independent analyst Jeff Kagan said the Gear "is another step into the future" and that Samsung continues to "push the innovation envelope". He predicted it would be as popular as Samsung's smartphones and tablets. A Samsung spokesperson said: "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."