Samsung Gear S Smartwatch With SIM Card Slot Released in UK on 7 November

The Samsung Gear S smartwatch, which features its own SIM card slot, goes on sale in the UK on 7 November.

It will be priced at £329 and available from Samsung Experience stores, plus O2 and other networks soon after. The smartwatch, unveiled at the IFA technology trade show in Berlin in September, runs Samsung's own Tizen operating system, rather than Google's Android Wear, which runs on most other smartwatches.

Unique in the current market, the Gear S's SIM card slot will allow users to make calls, send text messages (dictated or written with the on-screen keyboard) and browse the web without needing to be connected to a smartphone.

The Gear S is one of the largest smartwatches, with a curved, 2in Super AMOLED touchscreen; it features a white rubber strap and metal buckle, while the body is waterproof. There's also wi-fi, pedestrian navigation for walking direction and built-in GPS.

At £329, the Gear S is around £100 more than Android Wear alternatives, such as the LG G Watch, Motorola Moto 360 and Samsung's own Gear Live, but the Apple Watch is also expected to cost around £300 when it goes on sale next year.