Before Apple and Google could even make an entry into the smartwatch market, Samsung is reportedly planning on yet another smartwatch, and this time it’s more likely a “watch-phone.”
Samsung is to bring a fully stand-alone Tizen-equipped smartwatch-phone with its own SIM card, to the existing family of Gears by this summer, claims a new report from the Wall Street Journal.
According to the report, the fifth smartwatch from the company, unlike its predecessors, will secede the need to be tethered to a smartphone to make or receive calls. The watch-phone is said to be capable of capturing photos, handle email independently and will be equipped with GPS, Bluetooth and a heart monitor.
The report notes that the company is in talks with unidentified U.S., Korean and European telecommunications carriers about the rumoured watch-phone, with a June or July launch on the cards.
Details beyond that seem slim, as sources have refused to comment on anything other questions including the official name. However, rumor has it that the new wearable will likely be built on the company’s Gear 2 smartwatches.
The news of the watch-phone comes in time with the speculations of widely expected launch of smartwatch by Samsung’s closest rival – Google and Apple.
Samsung already has four smartwatches in the market – Galaxy Gear powered by Google’s Android operating system, and Gear 2 running on Tizen. All the four devices need to connect to a smartphone to make or receive calls.
