Samsung looks likely expand its successful Galaxy brand of smartphones next month to include a smartwatch known as Galaxy Gear. According to a report from Bloomberg, Samsung will unveil the Android-powered smartwatch on September 4.
Earlier this month, Samsung sent out an invitation for a September 4 press event to be held in Berlin, two days before the IFA consumer electronics show (basically, the European version of CES). Most signs signal that the event dubbed "Unpacked Episode 2" would be used to unveil the next incarnation of the Galaxy Note phablet. And this is most certainly still the case considering that 1) Samsung debuted the Note II last year at an event called "Unpacked" that took place in the run-up to the IFA, and 2) the invitation to this year's Unpacked Episode 2 event slyly includes the language: "Note the Date."
It's doubtful that Samsung would hold two major press events on the same day, so it's likely the event will also be used to introduce the world to Galaxy Gear.
Samsung has had its eyes on your wrists
We've known that Samsung has had its attention on the smartwatch space for a while. While Sony is already two generations deep into smartwatches and mobile archrival Apple continues to play coy in the face of a torrent of "iWatch" rumors, Samsung has been rather upfront with its smartwatch plans. Earlier this year, a Samsung executive vice president told the press outright: "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."
In late July, Samsung filed an application for a U.S. trademark for the name "Samsung Galaxy Gear" that would be used for "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."
Additionally, the application states that the devices could also be used for "the wireless receipt, storage and/or transmission of data and messages and for keeping track of or managing personal information; smart phones; tablet computers; portable computers."
If all these rumours turn out to be true, it would be an odd choice for Samsung to eclipse the debut of the Note III with a whole new form factor such as Galaxy Gear. Whatever the company's rational, be sure to brace yourself for a slew of Dick Tracy puns and references come early September.
Main image is an unofficialconcept design from 2009
