It is no secret that “wearable” technology is the next hot topic – Google’s Glass is turning heads in the demonstration videos we have seen, as well as even stirring up privacy issues before they are even released. Rumor has it Apple is working on a similar device as well, but after Apple, the well runs dry. However, if we move from a device worn on the head and jump down to a device worn on the wrist, this is where the competition really begins.
The idea of wearing something on your head is just not appealing to many people, but almost everybody is comfortable wearing a device on their wrists – surprise, most of us do already, it’s called a wristwatch. Because of that, every major manufacturer such as Apple, Sony, LG, Qualcomm, and Samsung are working on a wrist device that most are calling a smartwatch – a device that will synch with your smartphone and allow texting, email retrieval, and music playlists, etc. A small, startup company, Pebble, has been selling their Smart Watch for about a month now for $150 that works with select Android and Apple devices.
Samsung has made a public announcement they are in the smartwatch race, but offered no details. They applied for the trademark “Samsung Gear,” and although the primary description was vague, the secondary description clearly focuses on watches, wristbands, and bracelets capable of communicating with phones, PCs, and tablets.
Today, we get to feast our eyes on some possible designs released today of the Samsung Gear based on a “patent and trademark insider’s” concept images. Based on Samsung’s work with flexible displays and requested patents, Samsung’s watch is likely to have a flexible screen and flexible strap, allowing the user to customize it with different colored bands. If the real Samsung Gear is anything close to these designs, there should be a real demand for the device, especially if the price can be kept down to around $250.
No word on when the device will be released, although it would make a great holiday gift. We can only hope that Samsung will make some type of announcement at its upcoming press conference in Berlin on September 4. The Galaxy Note 3 should be the main event at that conference, but if they choose to unveil the Samsung Gear as well, I doubt that anybody will complain. What do you think of the whole idea of a smartwatch…is it something that you would be interested in purchasing or will it simply be the latest fade.