The US patent office has confirmed Samsung is working on a wearable device to be worn on a user's wrist.
A trademark application document was filed on 29 July requesting a trademark for "Samsung Galaxy Gear", writes The Register. Galaxy Gear is described by the South Korean tech giant as a "wearable digital electronic devices in the form of a wristwatch, wrist band, or bangle capable of providing access to the Internet, and for sending and receiving phone calls, electronic mails and messages".
The application goes on to detail that it will store and/or transmit data and messages, and will allow users to keep track of and manage personal information, adding that it is compatible with smartphones, tablets and portable computers.
In a separate filing with the Korean Intellectual Property Office, Samsung also registered a patent for a phone-like device that can be worn around the wrist. The document reads that the gadget will comprise flexible displays and elastic materials that can either be used while wrapped around the wrist or flattened out.
The news confirms Samsung is throwing its hat into the wearable device ring, competing with the likes of Apple, Microsoft and Google. It also reaffirms what Samsung executive VP Lee Young Hee announced a few months ago. "We've been preparing the watch product for so long," he said in March, adding that Samsung is working hard to prepare for the evolution towards wearable technologies.
This is not the brand's maiden venture into wearables, according to PC Mag. In 2009, Samsung released the S9110, which was dubbed the "world's slimmest watchphone". The S9110 featured a 1.76-inch touch-screen and Outlook e-mail but failed to incite much interest among consumers.
Wearable race heats up
In February, ABI Research forecast that the wearable market is set to explode. At present, this space is dominated by sport/activity trackers, but ABI predicted smartphone-esque watches will have a significant impact on this market. According to the study, 485 million wearable computing appliances will be shipped annually by 2015.
With few actual products yet in the hands, or on the wrists, of consumers, the market is already looking a little crowded. The first smart watch to enter the mainstream was the Pebble, which was released this year via a Kickstarter campaign. It syncs with the user's phone and allows social media notifications, text messages and e-mails to be sent directly to the wristwatch.
Similarly, Sony's SmartWatch, and the manufacturer's upcoming SmartWatch 2, is like the Pebble in that it syncs with the wearer's smartphone and is not a standalone, fully-featured device.
Apple's iWatch is one of the most talked about wearable offerings. Rumours about the gadget circulated after Apple filed a series of patents for a wristwatch-like device that could perform some of the tasks currently handled by an iPhone or iPad.
The hype isn't only around devices that resemble a wristwatch. Worn on the face, but still creating a lot of buzz, Google Glass has been hailed as a huge disrupter in the mobile market.
But consumers will have to wait a little longer before they can get their hands on an iWatch or Galaxy Gear. Analysts predict it will still be quite a while before this tech can be successfully mass produced, as flexible displays and battery technology are not yet up to scratch to meet the demands of these innovative tools.
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