Samsung Electronics' rumored smart watch, which reports have dubbed "Galaxy Gear," will not have cellular connectivity and won't be able to make phone calls, according to multiple reports.
According to The Verge, which cited an unnamed source, the device will be more of a companion to an existing Samsung smartphone. "It works with phones," one source said, adding, "The watch is not a phone." A report from GigaOM on the smart watch, which also cited unnamed sources, said the device will support Near Field Communications technology. In all likelihood, the reports suggest, the watch will pair to a smartphone via Bluetooth.
A Samsung spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The reports follow on a Bloomberg article from last week, which said the device will unveiled Sept. 4 in Berlin, and will be able to make phone calls, surf the Web and check email, and will be powered by Google's (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android platform.
According to the GigaOM report, the watch will be around 2.5 inches diagonally and will be powered by a dual-core processor that may come from Samsung. The report also said the Samsung watch will offer a camera and speakers.
Earlier this month Samsung sent out media invitations to an event in Berlin on Sept. 4 where it is widely expected that the company will announce the Galaxy Note III, its latest phablet iteration. The event will come less than a week ahead of Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) rumored Sept. 10 event where Apple may unveil the next iPhone. Apple has also reportedly been working on a smart watch of its own.
According to reports from 9to5 Mac and AllThingsD, Apple hired fitness industry consultant Jay Blahnik, who helped develop Nike's FuelBand wearable fitness product. Apple declined to comment on the hire, but Apple CEO Tim Cook specifically praised the FuelBand during AllThingsD's D11 conference in May, saying that it integrates well with Apple's iOS platform.
"There's nothing that's going to convince a kid who has never worn glasses or a band or a watch or whatever to wear one," Cook added. "Or at least I haven't seen it. So I think there's lots of things to solve in this space, but it's an area where it's ripe for exploration."
For more:
- see this The Verge article
- see this GigaOM article
- see this Bloomberg article
- see this AllThingsD article
- see this 9to5 Mac article
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