Just two days to go until the world finally gets to see what Samsung has been cooking up in its kitchen.  Rumor has it, Samsung will be revealing the Galaxy Note III, but that’s not the real headline act. Aside from its new phablet, the South Korean firm is also expected to unveil its new Galaxy Gear, Samsung’s first entry in the wearable tech market.

Leaks have recently surfaced which reveal the Galaxy Gear will sport a 2.5” display with a 320×320 resolution supporting touch, swipe and select type gestures, but the device is unlikely to have text-input.  Though previous leaks stated that it will not be running Android but instead Samsung’s software – either Tizen or Bada – more recently the rumor mill has been suggesting the device will run Android 4.3.  If it does indeed run Android, the Galaxy Gear may be compatible with other Android smartphones running Google’s latest OS. However, if the device runs Tizen or Bada, the smartwatch will be exclusively compatible with Samsung’ smartphones, and will probably work best with their phablets as it would allow the users to do simple tasks without having to whip out their gigantic device every five minutes.

Aside from the mentioned specs, the Galaxy Gear will also pack a Samsung Exynos 4212 dual core 1.5GHz processor with Mali-400 MP4 GPU, NFC for bump-to-sync and authentication, Bluetooth 4.0, a built-in accelerometer as well as other sensors that would allow it to compete with fitness bands. The device is also said to have 1GB RAM, storage options of 6GB and 8GB, and a 4MP camera with 720p video recording capability.  Though it has no text-input, it is said to be enabled with S Voice, which means that instead of tapping on the screen to input data, you can just yap away at the thing to get things done.

As for the design of the Galaxy Gear, the first photos of the device were leaked yesterday. VentureBeat published photos that’s said to be a prototype of the Galaxy Gear – which looks rather like a small Samsung phone with a strap. Of course, given that this is a prototype, there’s no guarantee that the final effort will look anything like the one in the pics.

Image via VentureBeat

Wearing something that looks like a small touchscreen phone on your wrist is not very appealing to consumers especially if it would serve as a fitness band.  There are other fitness bands that are far more stylish and go well with any type of clothing.  Which begs the question: What should the Galaxy Gear to look like?

Galaxy Gear Design Ideas

Curved face

Concept designs of smartwatches often pertain to a flexible screen that wraps on your wrist. Though the technology exists to make flexible screens, it may be a few more years before we see a flexible device on the market.  Given that, it wouldn’t hurt if Samsung opted for a more curvier face on the Gear, so it would sit comfortably on the wearer’s wrist and not stand out so much.  Some people like big, bulky watches but the Galaxy Gear prototype?  Not so much.

Looking strappy

The Galaxy Gear should come with a variety of straps or accessories so you can wear it anyway you please.  Metal, leather and rubber straps should all be available as options, plus Samsung could offer accessories that allow people to wear the Galaxy Gear like a pendant or clip it onto their clothes or bag strap.  And of course, people would definitely appreciate a choice of different colored straps.

Ready when you are

Most fitness bands today are water and dust resistant, so even if swimming is your sport of choice, you’d still be able to track your progress.  There’s no mention yet if the Galaxy Gear would be water and dust resistant but it will make a lot of sense if it is since it would allow the wearer to do tasks even if the phone itself is tucked away in a bag while hiking or walking.

What else do you think the Galaxy Gear needs to appeal to consumers?