Samsung confirms plans to rival Apple smart watch

By PATRICK MCPARTLIN
Published on 20/03/2013 21:37

JUST days after unveiling the Galaxy S4, Samsung have confirmed that they are developing a smart watch to rival Apple’s rumoured iWatch.

The Korean electronics firm made reference to the device during an interview with Bloomberg, with Executive Vice President of Samsung’s mobile arm Lee Young Hee revealing that they’d ‘been preparing the watch product for so long’.

‘We are working very hard to get ready for it,’ he added.

‘We are preparing products for the future, and the watch is definitely one of them.

‘The issue here is who will first commercialize it so consumers can use it meaningfully.’

Experts believe the concept of a smart watch will enable it to link up with smart phones, and offer much the same options.

A Samsung source confirmed to Reuters earlier this week that their proposed smart watch will indeed perform many similar tasks. Concepts created by designer Joseph Loetiko show a removable watch attached to a wristband, that can be detached to answer a call. The watch industry is predicted to generate in excess of $60 billion over the next 12 months, with firms expected to try and tie consumers down to one particular brand, echoing the steps taken by Apple, Blackberry and indeed Samsung.

Shares in the Korean company fell following the launch of the Galaxy S4, with fears that its flagship smart phone no longer has the same attraction for consumers as it used to.

The S4 offered some minor improvements on previous models, but less-than-glowing reports from various media sources suggest that, as with Apple, these changes aren’t exciting buyers as much as previous models.Now, it seems as though the next step in smart phone design is to mould the devices into wearable accessories - it’s surely just a matter of time before we see more and more ‘wearable’ devices from all smart phone giants.