Samsung Electronics filed an application to obtain trademarks for a new messaging app. Titled “Uhssup,” presumably to sound like the slang term “What’s up?”, the submission was spotted on EUIPO’s website. The European Union Intellectual Property Office page indicates that the trademark would herald in the form of a mobile application. Samsung, while it produces its own hardware and a lot of its own software, does not operate an exclusive messenger. Years ago, the South Korean tech giant created and encouraged users to use its smart messaging app, ChatOn. Unfortunately for those of you who liked it, the messenger never gained the proper momentum to convince a majority of people to switch. The proposed trademark, if approved, could change that and deal Samsung a better hand in the mobile messaging game.
The license proposal details a number of key smart messaging features. The two primary functions listed in the Uhssup trademark are: social interaction, and also “… computer software for use in searching, transmitting, receiving, storing, accessing, finding, organizing and viewing geographic location information and providing content based on location…”. The intricacies of the agreement remain a secret, but the primary function of the mobile app would using the location of the smart device to find and interact with other users on the same platform. Speculation of what functions Samsung would or could build into Uhssup is limited, but presumably the software would be available primarily or even exclusively on Galaxy devices.
Samsung ships its own text messaging app pre-installed on its Galaxy lineup. The current Messages app is compatible with both SMS and MMS and on select carriers, can even use a combination of RCS and LTE to transmit smart messaging features. Some such features include but are not limited to read receipts, typing ellipses, in-app video calling, large file transfers, WiFi messaging, and other advanced options. Unfortunately, these attributes are only available from one Galaxy device to another, and on the same carrier network. Apple, Facebook, Google, Tencent, and other companies operate popular messaging services, most of which can be synced to multiple devices. Samsung’s new Uhssup app could give Galaxy users a unique and interactive means of real time communication with one another.