Sources say Samsung will be unveiling a brand new Gear S smartwatch at next week’s IFA consumer electronics show. While that may come as a disappointment to anybody hoping to catch a glimpse of the wearable at today’s Samsung Unpacked event, it shouldn’t be too surprising since the company has historically shown off its newest Gear S innovations at the IFA event – and since there is so much already going on with the newly revealed Samsung Galaxy Note 8. Showing off the Gear S3’s successor at IFA – which starts August 30 – also gives the Samsung the advantage of a headstart over its biggest competitor, Apple, which won’t be pulling the covers off of its next watch until September.
There has already been plenty of speculation as to what the next generation of wrist-bound devices from Samsung will entail, including several rumors hinting that it may be either closer to a fitness wearable than a smartwatch. That’s down to leaks suggesting that it will be marketed as the Samsung Gear Fit 2 Pro and images showing a more fitness-oriented design. If the leak was pertaining to the device to be unveiled at IFA, it is expected to arrive with plenty of features packed in behind a Super AMOLED display. That includes Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, GLONASS, and Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n operating at the 2.4GHz frequency – in addition to claims of multiple-day battery performance, with GPS disabled.
With that said, an earlier FCC filing for the device seemed to show an overall aesthetic that was much closer to how a traditional watch would be shaped. While the company may have simply used an internal stock image to represent the labeling in that leak, it is also entirely possible that the company has more than one wearable waiting in the wings to be unveiled. The company has, after all, already shown itself to be full of surprises with today’s event. Bearing that in mind, it is anybody’s guess how Samsung’s IFA launch will play out. Fortunately, there is still plenty to keep fans of the brand preoccupied in the meantime and only about a week left before that event starts and it has now been confirmed that Samsung will have something to show. So, at any rate, the wait should at least not feel too long for anybody who has been looking forward to seeing the company’s next innovation in the smart wearables market.