Samsung Gear Sport and Gear IconX 2018 get a preorder date

Samsung's latest wireless earbuds and smartwatch, the Gear IconX 2018 and Gear Sport, have found themselves a release date. Announced back in August, the wearables will go up for pre-order from tomorrow, October 13, though they won't ship until October 27.

The Samsung Gear Sport is a ruggedized smartwatch intended for fitness fans looking to track their exercise as well as keep in touch. It's fronted by a 1.2-inch circular AMOLED display, surrounded by a rotating bezel that Samsung uses for navigation. The company claims that the Corning Gorilla Glass 3 coverglass meets MIL-STD-810G for toughness.

Inside, there's a dual-core 1.GHz processor running Tizen, paired with 768 MB of RAM and 4 GB of storage. No cellular radio, but you do get WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, and NFC. There's also GPS/GLONASS/Beidou for standalone location tracking, and a heart-rate monitor.

Waterproofing – down to 5 ATM – and a swim tracking mode make the Gear Sport just as happy at the pool as on a run. It has an auto-activity detection system, too, along with offline Spotify support. Samsung will offer it in blue or black, and you can switch out the straps for any 20mm alternative.

As for the Gear IconX 2018, the completely wireless earbuds follow Samsung's original design with an updated shape, longer battery life, and smarter services. Charging in an included carry-case, they have up to five hours of Bluetooth streaming or up to four hours of talktime. Load your own music to the 4GB of internal storage, and they'll play for up to seven hours.

If used with a Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+, or Galaxy Note 8, they'll offer one-touch access to Bixby, Samsung's virtual assistant. Like the Gear Sport they can automatically spot when you start running. However, Samsung also built in a Running Coach app that can give advice during an exercise session. They'll be offered in black, gray, and pink.

Even if you haven't got a Samsung smartphone, both wearables will play nicely with other Android devices and, indeed, iOS devices like the iPhone. You won't necessarily get all of the features, however.

The Samsung Gear Sport will be priced at $299.99 when it goes up for preorder tomorrow. As for the Gear IconX 2018 earbuds, they'll be $199.99.