Do you ever feel that there not nearly enough Galaxy-branded devices out there? No worries, Samsung has you covered. Before the year is out, Samsung will reportedly not only unveil the next generation of its Galaxy Gear smartwatch, but also a set of of "Galaxy Glass" headgear.
According to ZDNet Korea, Samsung will introduce the next-chapter of its wristernet device in either March or April. That's a mere six or seven months after the company unveiled the first generation of Gear, which went on to be summarily rejected by consumers.
According to an unnamed "industry source" cited in the report, Galaxy Gear 2 will be a reinvention of its predecessor and include a flexible OLED display screen.
We may have already been provided with a hint of the bendable display tech that will be used in the Gear: Part Deux at last year's CES. In 2013, Samsung showcased a bendable OLED technology known as YOUM, which could fit the bendable, wearable description in the report.
If you're a fan of Gumby-like OLED tech, Samsung will reportedly use the same tech to build wrap-around three-sided displays, that will likely be debuted this year in either the company's flagship Galaxy S or Note lines.
Et tu, Samsung?
Google has embarrassingly outpaced all other manufactures by conducting a very public advanced R&D project known as Google Glass.
Advanced augmented reality glasses did not seem to be on anyone else's radar. And only now--more than a year after they've been in the hands of early testers willing to pay to be part of Google's research effort--have other major manufacturers managed to bring their own AR headgear to market.
And now, it's Samsung's turn. According to a report in The Korea Times, Samsung will unveil its own "smart glasses" as early as September at the IFA fair in Berlin. Few specifics have been unveiled about the headware that is tentatively labeled "Galaxy Glass"--a moniker that Samsung will probably be forced to change, as Google has taken a strong stance on how branding is handled around new form factor.
According to the report, Samsung has already registered a patent in Korea that describes a device that would "link with a smartphone to display alerts on a transparent or translucent lens, allowing users to take phone calls and listen to music." It seems very similar to Gear, except with a heads-up display.
Slow down there, Samsung
Despite being arguably the biggest mobile manufacturer in the world, Samsung's execs seem downright anxious to always be present for the next big thing.
As rumors began to swirl early last year of an "iWatch" being developed by rival Apple, Samsung execs began openly extolling how the company has been working on a smartwatch "for so long" and would soon release a device.
The end result was the lackluster Galaxy Gear, that--against our best sage advice --would, frustratingly, only "talk" to other Samsung devices. While Gear was among the first smartwatches from a major manufacturer, it just didn't seem like it was ready for market.
Furthermore, just as fellow peninuslite LG was readying its curved G Flex for the Asian market, Samsung jumped ahead to release the Galaxy Round, a curved (though not flexible) phone.
Due to the unique production requirements, the Round was a strictly limited release. Meanwhile, the G Flex--which has faced production issues of its own--has been widely available throughout Asia and is now coming the US. Samsung, however, was able to snatch the first-bendy-phone-crown away from LG.
For which Samsung received bragging rights, if little else.
As technology continues its breakneck march into the future, Samsung is wise to constantly aim for the bleeding edge. However the company could learn something from its good friends at Apple: A brand's future is made secure by producing quality original gadgets that work before they are released.
Via AndroidCentral
