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| Samsung Electronics Canada Inc. |
Since the beginning of the year, we were told wearable technology would be the biggest sector looking to breakout in 2015. While there hasn't been a super high-capacity boom, there has been some impressive concepts emerging in the infancy of wearable technology. While much of the attention has been focused on smartwatch devices, other forms of wearable electronics have emerged with the capacity of delivering a unique user experience.
From Samsung, Gear VR technology could change the way many of will look at our smartphones (literally). Through a piece of headgear that attaches to certain popular Samsung smartphone types, Gear VR is promising to offer 360-degree viewing experiences assembled as photos, videos as well as games. Launched in the United States earlier this fall, Canadians are now able to explore the interactive virtual viewing experience in its entirety.
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| Samsung Electronics Canada Inc. |
The first consumer edition of the Samsung Gear VR headset is now officially available in Canada. At a price of $139.00 excluding the compatible Samsung smartphone, the Frost White coloured device contains an Accelerometer, Gyrometer, and comfortable foam padding. This consumer version of the Gear VR is an evolution from the so-called Innovator Edition as being lighter as well as less expensive. Without the smartphone, the weight of the Gear VR is rated at 318 grams.
Requiring the installation of Samsung's Milk VR app from the Oculus store, the Galaxy Note5, Galaxy S6 edge+, S6 or S6 edge device is attached to the Gear VR headset by clips as well as a micro USB connection. Once connected through the Gear VR, the user wearing the device is immersed with a 96-degree field of view created by a Super AMOLED display. While wearing the Gear VR, the 360-degree view adjusts in accordance to your head movements. When launched in Canada on December 11th, the available content through Milk VR provides 300 app titles and more than 25 hours of video for the wearer to view in a 360-degree perspective. Video Content immediately offered in the new viewing format consists of several genres of entertainment. Entertainment choices such as the Hollywood blockbuster Hunger Games Mockingjay: Part 1 and GONE, a thriller developed exclusively by Robert Kirkman and David Alpert's Skybound Entertainment for the viewing system, can be accessed for the Gear VR.
"The Gear VR offers a truly innovative experience, getting Canadians closer to incredible 360 degree content in a completely immersive way." says Samsung Electronics Canada's Executive Vice President Mobile Solutions Paul Brannen.
Please find included below is a Youtube demo prepared by Samsung Mobile of the Gear VR providing a different perspective for smartphone gaming:
