London - Samsung has revealed the first details of the smartwatch it hopes could take on Apple. Called the Gear S2, it has a round face and will come in several versions – including one with its own SIM card to make calls without the need for a phone.
It will run Samsung’s own Tizen software, and the firm is expected to reveal a host of apps it will run at the IFA trade show in Berlin, which started on Thursday and runs until Wednesday.
One of Samsung’s designers first revealed the firm’s new smartwatch on Instagram. Dennis Miloseski, the studio head of Samsung Design America, posted the image to his personal account, saying he was “Giving the new Samsung Gear S2 a test drive”.
Until now, the firm has only revealed glimpses of part of the watch.
Rumours have been circulating that Samsung will launch a new round-faced smartwatch, code-named Orbis.
It was originally thought to be called Gear A and boast on-board GPS, giving it an edge over the Apple Watch. This would allow the device to track a wearer’s location without the need for a phone and load maps quickly.
The device will have a Samsung Exynos dual-core 1.2GHz processor, 4GB of storage, 768MB of RAM and a 250mAH battery, SamMobile reported.
Leaked details of the Gear A’s internal specifications also suggest the gadget will be packed with sensors, including a barometer, heart rate sensor, wi-fi chip and GPS.
The Gear A will run a customised version of Samsung’s Tizen operating system, not Android Wear, which is used for other wearable devices. This could mean the watch may only work with Samsung smartphones, Mashable reported.
A previous leak suggested users will navigate the watch’s interface by turning its bezel as well as a digital crown, similar to the one seen on the Apple Watch.
News and images of the gadget’s circular Super Amoled screen was leaked in April as part of an announcement about Samsung’s upcoming developer scheme.
In its press release, Samsung said: “Members of global developer community can get early access to the Software Development Kit (SDK) of the company’s next generation of the Gear device.”
While Motorola, Huawei and LG offer round-screen smartwatches, Samsung has previously only offered rectangular displays and one curved device – the Gear S.
Paul Lamkin, editor-in-chief of Wareable, told MailOnline: “It’s hardly surprising Samsung has announced plans for a circular smartwatch. The Orbis device has been spinning on the web rumour mill for a while now, but the timing, on Apple Watch launch day, is a little puzzling.
“Samsung’s betting big on its own proprietary software and it makes sense to get developers in early to pack out the Tizen app store with circle-friendly apps.
“After all, with 3 000 Apple Watch apps reportedly already on offer, the Korean company is playing catch-up to its long-time rival, despite the fact it’s been in the game a lot longer.”
Daily Mail
l The Gear A would be Samsung’s seventh smartwatch. The first, the Galaxy Gear, was launched in 2013 and received mixed reviews.
There are currently no details about how much the device will cost.