Samsung told the world that it is making a smart watch in March, and now a newly discovered trademark provides some clues as to how the company will compete with Apple's rumored iWatch. A filing from the end of July describes a Samsung-branded wristwatch capable of performing functions similar to that of a smartphone.
The filing covers a trademark for the term “Samsung Galaxy Gear” and contains drawings that depict a flexible smartwatch design. The trademark filing’s text describes a “wearable digital electronic device in the form of a wristwatch, wrist band or bangle capable of providing access to the Internet.” The wearable gadget would also be able to receive phone calls, emails and text messages in addition to storing personal information and syncing with your smartphone or tablet, according to the trademark’s identification.
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The concept drawings don’t reveal too much about the device, but one image depicts a rounded display with the familiar Back and Home buttons beneath the screen. If Samsung does launch a smartwatch in the coming months, this could be the first device to bring the company’s flexible display technology to the masses. Samsung has been showcasing its bendable touch screens codenamed YOUM since early 2012 at CES, but has yet to introduce a device with such technology.
Five months ago Samsung confirmed to Bloomberg that it had been “preparing the watch product,” and now reports from Asia suggest it’s only a few weeks away from launch. Just last week, Korean news source Asia.co.kr reported that Samsung will introduce a smartwatch alongside its Galaxy Note 3 at this year’s IFA show in Berlin, which takes place in early September.
If the above timing proves true, Samsung will likely be the first of its major rivals in the mobile market to launch a wearable gadget. For months, rumors have implied that Apple, Microsoft, Google and LG are also rumored to be concocting wrist-worn devices of their own, but we have yet to hear any official word.
