The much rumored Samsung smartwatch has been spotted in a new USPTO trademark filing. Under the filing, the tech giant has given its new wearable tech the moniker “Galaxy Gear.”
In the filing, Samsung seeks to trademark the Galaxy Gear name 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.”
Samsung’s decision to issue the trademark request follows Apple’s iWatch filing in most major countries.
Rumors about Samsung’s smartwatch have been circulating for some time now, and technical patents filed by the company have suggested flexible displays. Experts believe flexible displays are at least “a few years out,” which means a watch released in late 2013 or early 2014 will likely lack that technology.
We still don’t know if Samsung will bring a Google Android powered smartwatch to market, but the USPTO filing for the Galaxy Gear appears to point in that hopeful direction.
Rumors point to an Android smartwatch that would fully sync with Android-based smartphones and tablets. Those rumors also suggest that the smartwatch might be capable of acting alone to perform a number of functions without smartphone or tablet tethering.
Apple filed for the iWatch trademark in Japan and Mexico in June, which means the company is probably getting close to some type of announcement. A report at the Financial Times suggests that the Apple iWatch will hit store shelves sometime in 2014. Apple CEO Tim Cook recently announced that Apple has a bunch of “new products” in the works for the end of 2014.
With the Samsung Galaxy Gear receiving an official USPTO filing, the wearable tech market appears to be heating up.
Are you excited to purchase a piece of wearable tech from the makers of the Galaxy S smartphone line?