The Samsung Galaxy Gear and Galaxy Note 3 were both announced at IFA 2013 and, once the Galaxy Gear hit shelves, the only device that it was fully-compatible with was Samsung's newest phone/tablet hybrid. I'd say that makes them just about the definition of BFFs. There's good news for owners of other Samsung smartphones today, though, as the South Korean company has confirmed that the Galaxy Gear will be growing its circle of friends in the near future.

Samsung announced this morning that the Galaxy Gear compatibility will be coming to several other Galaxy-branded smartphones through a software update. The Galaxy S 4, S III and Note II will all gain Gear support with their Android 4.3 updates, something that we've already seen in some parts of the globe. Meanwhile, devices like the Galaxy S4 mini, S4 Active, S4 zoom, Mega 5.8 and Mega 6.3 will all gain Galaxy Gear compatibility through separate updates that are expected to begin rolling out at the end of October.

In addition to announcing its plans for expanded Galaxy Gear support, Samsung also shed some light on what Galaxy S 4, S III and Note II owners can expect to receive as part of their updates to Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. For example, Galaxy S III and Note II owners will receive easier text input as well as updated graphics and multimedia. Other improvements include Samsung's Knox security software, SmartSwitch support for transferring content to Samsung devices from other smartphones, HomeSync support and Group Play 2.5 with shared video.

While it's up to consumers to decide if the Galaxy Gear is the smartwatch that deserves a spot on their wrist, it's good to see Samsung expanding the device's compatibility and adding support for several other Galaxy-branded smartphones. Obviously it'd be nice if Gear compatibility was expanded even further to non-Galaxy devices, but at least with the addition of support for devices like the Galaxy S 4, S III and Note II, Samsung is extending compatibility to a pretty substantial base of users. Are you considering picking up a Galaxy Gear now that Samsung has confirmed its plans to extend compatibility to several other smartphones?

Via Samsung