A top Samsung Electronics executive confirmed upcoming device announcements the company will make on Sept. 4, including a smart watch named "Galaxy Gear" and the company's next phablet, the Galaxy Note III.
Leaks during the past several weeks have indicated Samsung would unveil both devices just ahead of the IFA consumer electronics trade show in Berlin. However, in an interview with the Korea Times, Lee Young Hee, executive vice president of Samsung's mobile business, said that the smart watch will use a "non-flexible display," seemingly confirming the device's existence. Lee had indicated a smart watch product was coming in a March interview with Bloomberg.
"We will be introducing a new wearable concept device called Galaxy Gear at our own event in Berlin on Sept. 4," Lee told the Korea Times. She did not give away too many details but said it "won't have a flexible display. The new device will enhance and enrich the current smart mobile experience in many ways. It will lead a new trend in smart mobile communications. We are confident that the Gear will add meaningful momentum to the mobile industry."
According to a Verge report from earlier this month, which cited an unnamed source, the device will be more of a companion to an existing Samsung smartphone and will not have cellular connectivity.
The smart watch market is heating up, even though most major technology companies have not yet released such products. In June Sony announced the Android-powered SmartWatch 2. Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) has also reportedly been working on a smart watch of its own and is expected to unveil its next iPhone iterations Sept. 10. Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) are also rumored to be exploring the category.
In the interview Lee also divulged that Samsung will unveil the Note III but did not give any details on the forthcoming phablet. "Samsung opened a new smart mobile device category back in 2011 with the introduction of the first Galaxy Note," she said. "Since then, smartphones with large screens have been a mainstream trend. As the creator of this category, we will introduce our customers to enhanced key features on our Galaxy Note devices."
Lee also said Samsung is not interested in any kind of transaction with BlackBerry (NASDAQ:BBRY), which is exploring strategic options, including a possible sale. In the past Samsung has been linked to such a deal but Lee ruled one out.
In other Samsung news, the world's largest smartphone and handset maker kicked off registration for its first major developer conference aimed at getting North American developers to work on apps and services designed specifically for its products. The event will take place Oct. 27-29 in San Francisco, and will focus on Samsung-specific hardware and software, including TVs, smartphones and other devices.
For more:
- see this Korea Times article
- see this The Verge article
- see this Engadget article
- see this AllThingsD article
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