Samsung Already Has A New Smartwatch Coming, And It May Run Android Wear
The Korea-based company just filed a handful of documents with the FCC detailing a new smartwatch that's a bit smaller than the Gear 2 -and it could potentially run on Android Wear.
The filing, which was first spotted by Samsung news blog SammyToday, says the new smartwatch will measure 1.45 inches by 1.8 inches, which is slightly smaller than the 1.4 x 2.2-inch Gear 2.
There has been some speculation that this watch could run on Google's new version of Android specifically made for wearables -Android Wear.
The company began filing a trademark for the term Galaxy Wear in Korea last month, leading many to believe that this would be Samsung's Android Wear smartwatch.
However, a newer report from SammyToday notes that Samsung has halted the registration process for this term.
Samsung is an official partner with Google for its Android Wear program, but the company hasn't come forward to announce any plans for a specific device just yet. Both LG and Motorola will be the first electronics manufacturers to launch smartwatches running on Android Wear this summer.
Releasing an Android Wear smartwatch would stray from Samsung's current strategy when it comes to wearables. The Gear 2 runs on a different open source operating system called Tizen, and Samsung is believed to be shaping it into its own self-branded software in an effort to decrease it's reliance on Google. That's just a theory - Samsung hasn't come forward to confirm such a strategy -but the company has shown interest in Tizen for quite some time.
The FCC filing comes after numerous reports have suggested Samsung is preparing to release a couple of new smartwatches. The Korea Herald reported that Samsung will release its Gear 3 watch in the fall alongside its next phablet, presumably the Note 4.
In the meantime, Samsung is expected to release a watch called the Gear Solo that would be capable of making phone calls without being tethered to your phone. This purported Gear Solo will probably be a limited release product that's just meant to "fill the void" between now and Samsung's Gear 3 launch, the Herald reported.