Is a Samsung smartwatch on its way in 2013? We take a look at all the latest rumours about the device currently being dubbed the Galaxy Gear.
Sony has already launched its Smartwatch 2 to rival the Pebble smartwatch, and Samsung could be the next manufacturer to unveil a wristworn device.
Ahead of a predicted launch in September, here's everything we know so far about the device rumoured to be called the Samsung Galaxy Gear.
Samsung Galaxy Gear Smartwatch News
Samsung has already confirmed that it has been working on a smartwatch device.
Samsung’s Vice President of Mobile Business Lee Young Hee announced that the company was busy producing a wearable tech device back in March in an interview with Bloomberg in Seoul:
“We’ve been preparing the watch product for so long. We are working very hard to get ready for it”, he said. "We are preparing products for the future, and the watch is definitely one of them.”
Although Hee did not reveal any specifics about the Samsung smartwatch, he did add that “the issue is who will first commercialise it so consumers can use it meaningfully.”
If the rumours are correct, Apple, Google and Microsoft are due to launch a smartwatch devices some time in 2014. If Samsung manages to launch its wrist-worn smartwatch before that, it stands a chance of getting ahead of the pack.
Samsung Galaxy Gear Smartwatch Release Date
The Samsung smartwatch is strongly rumoured to launch on September 4 at IFA, the Berlin-based tech expo.
Samsung is hosting its pre-IFA 2013 press conference that day and several sources are suggesting that the South Korean manufacturer will launch the Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch alongside the Samsung Galaxy Note 3.
Of course, Samsung hasn’t officially confirmed that either of these devices will be in the spotlight on September 4, but with the amount of leaks and rumours surrounding both we’d be very surprised if they don’t.
Samsung Galaxy Gear Smartwatch Rumours
A Samsung smartwatch is rumoured to fall under the new Galaxy Gear branding described in two recent patent filings.
The first appeared at the start of July detailing a range of products including “watches, clocks, wristbands and bracelets.”
The filing also described “watches that communicate data to personal digital assistants, smart phones, tablet PCs, PDA, and personal computers through internet websites and other computer and electornic communications networks; watchbands that communicate data to [the same aforementioned devices].” There seems no doubt that the smartwatch could feature as part of the Galaxy Gear range.
The second patent provides further confirmation that the smartwatch will be branded Galaxy Gear, detailing wearable gadgets in the “form of a wristwatch, wrist band or bangle.”
The patent filing unearthed on August 6th also referred to, “Wearable digital electronic devices in the form of a wristwatch, wrist band or bangle capable of providing access to the Internet and for sending and receiving phone calls, electronic mails and messages.”
With two patent filings to its name, we expect the Samsung smartwatch to be the first in the Galaxy Gear product line-up.
Interestingly, Samsung has also patented the Galaxy Gear name in South Korea and America.
Samsung Galaxy Gear Smartwatch Specs
Despite the two patent filings, news of any specs we can expect to see in a Samsung smartwatch device are rather thin on the ground.
The Samsung Galaxy Gear patent filing is the only real information we can begin to get an idea of what we can expect. It could point to the watch working in similar way to the Sony SmartWatch 2, using NFC to connect to your Samsung Galaxy S4 to access emails and applications.
Analysts have suggested that 2014 will be the year of the smartwatch, but success will come for the company that can truly focus on the importance of “glanceable information”, such as navigation, social media, email and messaging.
James Wang, a Canalys analyst said, “An effective smartwach won’t just be a second screen for a smartphone,” Wang also added, “Creating a competent developer platform specifically for the form factor will be an enormous challenge.”
Samsung Galaxy Gear Smartwatch Pictures
Although there have been no official pictures of the Samsung smartwatch, the patent filings unearthed a series of drawings that could indicate how the smartwatch could look.
The drawings reveal a wearable gadget with a flexible screen that wraps around your wrist. It is constructed from a combination of metal and synthetic materials.
Like the sound of a Samsung smartwatch? What features would you like to see to make it worthwhile? Let us know in the comments section below.
Next, read our review of the Pebble smartwatch or let us know what Apple iWatch features you’d like to see.
