Which is Better: The Samsung Galaxy Gear vs. Qualcomm Toq Smartwatch

Samsung's 1.63-inch screen produces solid output from clear text to subpar image/video quality. While the visuals are brighter and vivid, the drawback with using this type of screen is it requires the user to initiate commands in order to keep it lit. Qualcomm made the bold decision to feature a Mirasol display, which is a low-power color panel that blocks ambient light in all environments to enhance outdoor readability. Looking over notifications and reading emails is easier on the eyes when using the Toq. A backlight is also integrated in the display for night reading.

Asking for a smartwatch that combines function and style without compromising performance is like requesting a smartphone capable of lasting an entire day. You gotta give Samsung and Qualcomm credit for making the attempt, even if each device bears design flaws. It’s quite bewildering to see Sammy take a more premium approach with its smartwatch than its flagship Galaxy mobile lineup, as the Gear sports a gorgeous stainless steel housing and sturdy rubber wristband with bold shades. This makes it heavier than the average offering, but sturdier and flashier. Qualcomm’s digital ticker flaunts a conservative, patterned look most suited for business buffs, along with a bulky strap that’s susceptible to breaking easily.

Calls, emails, social media updates, and text messages—the Gear and Toq handle notifications better than most of the other smartwatches on the market. Samsung introduces its own Gear Manager app, management software designed to customize all watch settings from alerts to the clock face. And like the company's TouchWiz UI, the program is little clunky and looks cluttered on a small display. However, screening calls on the Gear is impressive and sounds clear with little to no distortion present.

The Toq rocks a cleaner UI and its own unique feature set such as exclusively designed widgets (weather, stocks) and detailed calendar data. All notifications run smoother on the Toq too, though we can’t speak on the call quality due to our limited hands-on time. Nevertheless, the Toq seemed like the more smoother and user-friendly experience.

It’s surprising and disappointing to see the king of mobile processing stuff a low-power 200MHz Cortex M3 chip inside its smartwatch. Qualcomm has its reasons for compromising processing power, but we felt the company could have accomplished such feats had it manufactured its own CPU. Sammy spared no expense in decking out its wearable with a more dynamic spec sheet: including a 800MHz Exynos processor, 4GB of internal storage, 512MB of RAM, two microphones, and a 1.9MP camera that captures 720p video recording. It's a numbers game.

Considering Samsung's massive product lineup, the assumption was all Galaxy devices from smartphones to tablets would work with be Gear-enabled. Don’t think so. As of launch, the Gear is only compatible with the Galaxy Note 3 and Note 10.1, though the company claims other products will be promoted in the near future. Qualcomm welcomes all Android 4.0.3 (or highter) handsets to be paired with the Toq, while hinting at multi-platform support via iPhone and possibly Windows Phone. Sky's the limit for one.

Granted both are designed to work hand-in-hand with Android, don’t expect the full mobile OS experience from either device. The Gear and Toq run on their own software and support a number of applications, with the latter offering more than the latter. Samsung promised 70 apps available at launch, but fewer than 50 are accessible at the moment. The Toq’s list of supportive apps is much shorter. What gives the Gear an advantage here is its selection of productivity apps such as Evernote (translate voice memos), Path (check-in/share images), and RunKeeper (fitness trainer). Not to mention, it can also be hacked and transformed into a “full-fledged wrist-worn smartphone” as Laptop Magazine discovered.

When taking into account the MSRP on both devices, one could only anticipate some sweet accessories bundled in either package. Each company provides its own unique charging solution, with Samsung boxing a plastic microUSB-compatible charging protection case and Qualcomm stocking a portable wireless charging station that also carries rechargeable wireless in-ear Bluetooth earbuds. The Toq looks to offer more bang for the buck.

Both smartwatches are marked at $300, which is a more expensive value than most new smartphones on contract. The only difference here lies in availability, with the Gear sold globally in different shades and the Toq limited to just two colors with a manufactured allocation of just “tens of thousands.”

Qualcomm’s decisions to run with a Mirasol display and a less powerful processor were made for energy conservation purposes. The Toq is capable of producing three to three days of vitality on a single charge. On the other side, Samsung has been crucified over the Gear’s 315mAh battery, as the cell averages an est. 6–12 hours of battery life and requires a nightly charge.

Initiating commands and maneuvering through the UI isn’t pretty on the Gear or Toq. You’re dealing with typical swipe actions for the most part, though the Gear has S-Voice at its disposal to perform quick tasks like sending an SMS or checking the weather via voice command. It also recognizes two-finger commands, which brings up battery life and opens up a task manager. The Toq promotes swipe commands as well, but relies heavy on its touch-sensitive strap to execute tasks such as turning your wrist to wake the screen or hitting one of its two touch zones to activate the back lit. Sadly, nether one could execute these features smoothly, hence our split decision.