Samsung officially enters smartwatch race against Apple

[Shawn Knight]

Last month a series of screenshots surfaced on a Korean forum showing what appeared to be the user interface for a Samsung smartwatch. We didn’t have much to go on besides the photos at the time but now the Korean tech giant has confirmed they are indeed working on a wristwatch to compete with Apple’s iWatch.

Lee Young Hee, executive vice president of Samsung’s mobile business, said during a recent interview in Seoul that the company has been preparing the watch product for a long time now and they are working very hard to get it ready. He noted that they are preparing products for the future and the watch is certainly one of them.

The executive was mum when asked what features the watch would carry, how much it would retail for and when it is expected to ship. It could be a very busy year for Samsung if they are able to get the watch out in 2013 as they have the Galaxy S4, a high-end Tizen-based smartphone and a third generation Galaxy Note handset in the pipeline.

The global watch industry is expected to pull in more than $60 billion this year although it’s unclear if that figure is taking into account the impact that smartwatches could have on the industry. Either way, the emerging market is viewed by many as the next big thing – a device that could help lock customers into their platforms and boost sales of phones, tablets and even television sets.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/51992-samsung-officially-enters-smartwatch-race-against-apple.html

 

[NimbusTLD]

Since when are Apple officially in the smartwatch race to begin with? Surely Pebble is the only runner at the moment...

 

[MilwaukeeMike]

Just because our phones have a clock doesn't mean our watches need a phone.

 

[Jad Chaar]

I would only consider these smart watches if they have 1) charging by movement and/or solar 2) a nice look 3) not too large of a screen. I feel like some company should partner up with Casio to make rugged, sporty looking smart watches.

 

[Sniped_Ash]

Since when are Apple officially in the smartwatch race to begin with? Surely Pebble is the only runner at the moment...

They aren't. Journalists say they are based solely on rumors and blog posts. It's kind of disgusting because they know it's not based on fact, but they gotta get eyes on the page.

I'll grant them that it makes PERFECT sense though for Apple to be working on a smart watch. The iPod/iPhone was basically part practical technology, part fashion accessory which is literally what a watch is.

 

[misor]

While I adore competition because it tends to bring out the best products but lowers the general price for the consuming public, the copy-mode of a technology giant like Samsung is becoming tiresome.

maybe apple should team up with nike to create a smart shoes line called iKe, complete with built-in weighing scale, calorimeter, pulse rate monitor, a-gps, etc.
if Samsung copies the move by apple and create a shoe line called "galaxy shoes", then I will get a pin and poke my eyes, figuratively, of course.

 

[Jad Chaar]

While I adore competition because it tends to bring out the best products but lowers the general price for the consuming public, the copy-mode of a technology giant like Samsung is becoming tiresome.

maybe apple should team up with nike to create a smart shoes line called iKe, complete with built-in weighing scale, calorimeter, pulse rate monitor, a-gps, etc.
if Samsung copies the move by apple and create a shoe line called "galaxy shoes", then I will get a pin and poke my eyes, figuratively, off course.

Agreed.

 

[ET3D]

While I find tech watches appealing, I don't want one that needs to be charged often. And by often I mean more than once every 6 months or so. The Phosphor Touch Time is so far the only tech watch I've seen which has reasonable battery life, but I'd wait to see it released (and have specs such as weight advertised) before I decide whether to buy it.

 

[spydercanopus]

Since I don't wear a watch, I'd rather have a shoe phone.