Samsung Electronics Co Ltd is developing a smartwatch that can make or receive calls without having to be tethered to a mobile phone, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.
Samsung, the world’s largest maker of smartphones, is in discussions with unidentified U.S., Korean and European telecommunications carriers about a so-called “watch-phone” that it hopes to unveil between June and July, the Journal reported, citing people familiar with the company’s plans.
Samsung’s watch-phone will be able to make and receive calls without being tethered to a smartphone, something most smartwatches on the market now can’t do, according to people familiar with the company’s plans. It will also take photos, send email and come with GPS, Bluetooth and a heart monitor, the people said – a suite of features that would make the gadget-toting James Bond proud. (The fictional British spy used a wrist walkie-talkie in the movie For Your Eyes Only).
The South Korean technology giant – currently the top seller of smartphones – is in talks with telecom carriers in the U.S., South Korea and Europe about the watch-phone, and hopes to unveil the gadget between June and July, the people said. It will run on Samsung’s homegrown operating system, Tizen, which was co-developed withIntel Corp.
The current crop of smartwatches, such as Samsung’s own Galaxy Gear, have to be linked to a phone to receive and send messages and perform other basic functions.
But the proposed watch-phone, which will run on Samsung’s Tizen operating software, can take photos and handle email independently and will come equipped with a heart monitor, the newspaper reported.
Source: NDTV