Samsung Plans to Take On the Rumored Apple iWatch with a Smartwatch of Their Own

[dgstorm]

Between Google Glass and the rumored iWatch from Apple, it looks like wearable computers might just be the next disruptive tech of the future. Of course, Samsung would never let an opportunity go unanswered, (or a great idea uncopied ). They plan to offer a competitor smartwatch of their own. In fact, they have been working on one for some time. To be fair, even though we cracked the joke about Samsung copying Apple's idea, in this instance, it might be just the opposite.

Apparently Samsung has been working on smartwatch concepts since 1999, as shown above in this patent they filed at that time and won in 2003. In reality, this simply shows tech companies have R&D projects which mirror what is going on at their competitors. Perhaps this is just another argument for revamping the patent system.

At any rate, it looks like all the companies are working on "the next big thing" since we are rapidly approaching a saturation point for smartphones. Whatever new tech takes off, it will be interesting to see who gets it to market first. Samsung certainly is going to try. Here's a quote from Lee Young Hee, executive vice president of Samsung’s mobile business,

“We’ve been preparing the watch product for so long. We are working very hard to get ready for it. We are preparing products for the future, and the watch is definitely one of them.”

Will Samsung beat Apple to the punch this time? Will wearable computing actually take off as a viable product? Share your prognostications.

Source: UnWiredView

 

[J515OP]

Ok, here is my prognostication smart watches will never take off like smart phones. That is unless/until they become the ultra thin type that wrap around you wrist and offer the full processing power of a smart phone. I believe this concept to be very far from reality though due to technological limitations and don't expect it any time soon. Watches are fun toys but far from the best way to interact with a multi-faceted device. There is a reason watch phones and video watches havent' taken off despite the technology having been readily available for decades. The best case short term scenario is for them to act as a limited functionality remote/data feed for basic information from a phone (Pebble, iPod nano and others already exist).



On the other hand I believe Google glass to be a viable wearable option that will become widely available in the near future. The interface is much simpler, uses eye tracking and voice command to accomplish the same thing as a limited function smart watch (remote/data interface with another device) while still leaving both hands free and overlaying your direct field of view without having to constantly bring your wrist up to your face.

 

[Tom T]

Google Glass may be dead already, through fear of privacy concerns. The outcry comes even before the technology is widely available.

Sent from my Galaxy Note 10.1

 

[TechBalloon365]

Smartwatches should be widely available and produced in the next 3 years..that's our predictions

 

[idontknow]

The only smartwatch that would catch my attention it would have to be the the size of my galaxy note, 5.3" but then it would be ridiculous as a watch! I remember that when the phones were just phones we were looking for the smallest one to carry and still nobody even remember that somebody invented a phone/watch ...too small, not very practical to dial numbers and talk while wearing it . Now,how could anybody think that a smartphone small enough to be wearable as a watch, would be big enough to surf the Internet or watch a video or double tasking,things we all got use to do with our phones.
Come on!!!!!

 

[Tom T]

Gloria, you should be hired as a consultant for these companies! I think that what they want is as many devices as possible, seperate devices, to work together to get us to spend as much as possible. Of course, they tend to do the exact same things in slightly different ways....what am I taking about? I already want them all, no matter how redundent. I want smart glasses that allow me to view my smart watch and virtually enhance the way it displays data it syncs from my tablet that tethers to my smart phone to sync data at 4g speeds.

Sent from my Galaxy Note 10.1