The LTE-enabled version of the upcoming Samsung Gear S4 smartwatch is reportedly being developed by the OEM in the United States before the wearable will eventually be offered for purchase in the region by several network providers including AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. This report follows another recent rumor suggesting that the wearable is identified by the model number SM-R800, though internally the device is apparently being referred to by the codename Galileo. Chronologically speaking the SM-R800 will inevitably succeed the Gear Sport released last October, and likewise, the Gear S4 is likely to hit the shelves in a similar time frame this year. However, as far as its lineage is concerned the upcoming wearable is expected to become a direct successor to the Samsung Gear S3 series which was originally launched in 2016.
Last year Samsung skipped the Gear S smartwatch series and instead it launched the Gear Sport wearable, which can be viewed as a mix between the more stylish Samsung Gear S3 Classic and the sportier Gear S3 Frontier variant, at least in terms of features. The Samsung Gear Sport attempted to combine the best of both worlds into a single package, though in reality and as the moniker suggests, the smartwatch in question was much more focused on its fitness-oriented features rather than its stylish roots. In theory, this approach might change with the upcoming Samsung Gear S4 especially since rumors indicate that the device could launch in two sizes, though it’s unclear whether the Gear S4 will borrow a page from its predecessor’s playbook and be represented in two different variants along the lines of the existing Classic and Frontier models.
The smartwatch is expected to adopt more powerful hardware components compared to the ongoing models, all the while providing an improved software experience through better fitness and sleep tracking. Exact hardware details are currently missing but it’s highly likely that the Samsung Gear S4 will adopt a circular dial, and it’s certain to continue and be powered by the OEM’s proprietary Tizen operating system. At the moment the wearable is expected to launch in the fourth quarter of the year hinting at an official unveiling at IFA in Berlin in late-August or early-September prior to it hitting the shelves in October, though this has yet to be confirmed by Samsung so it remains subject to change.