Samsung’s wearable division has been around for a few years now, having debuted their first smartwatch almost two years ago in the late summer of 2013. That being said, we’ve seen quite a few changes come from this lineup of wearable devices, from the original Galaxy Gear that required users to have a Samsung Galaxy smartphone paired to it at all times, to the Gear S which was released late last year and contained its own cellular connection and SIM card. One thing all of these devices had in common though, was that they were all square shaped, and while the Gear S took the square to curvier places thanks to the more natural curve of its design to fit the wrist, Samsung has yet to release an actual round smartwatch.
Now it looks like this will come in the form of at least one new wearable set to be announced in the coming months in London. These two new Gear smartwatches are rumored to be dubbed the Gear A and Gear W, and while we’re not sure whether or not both will be round, they will both feature new designs. To help with these designs, Samsung is enlisting the help of professionals who have an eye for design as it was meant to be rather than just trying to make a piece of technology that forces design on a user as some others have done. Rumor has it, Samsung is teaming up with the likes of Swarovski, Z Zenga, Anymode, Romero Britto and even case and accessory manufacturers like Tech21 and Incipio.
The partnership with these companies is not just for the overall design of the watch, which will likely follow in a similar fashion as the Galaxy S6’s brand new high-class design has, but for custom watch bands and faces too. Teaming up with these brands will give Samsung an automatic entry into a world where Apple has had to force itself into, pretending to be a fashion company instead of a tech firm. While Samsung’s designs have been questionable in terms of fashion up to this point it won’t be surprising to see radical changes to the design language we’ve come to know from the South Korean company, including a brand new UI dubbed Wheel UX to complete the experience. Whether or not the final product is called Project Orbis, Gear A or Gear W remains to be seen, but it will be interesting to see if Samsung enlists the help of these companies to help it name their products as well.