A smartwatch with a SIM slot?
Ever since Samsung entered the smartwatch market, there've been rumors that it might do away with the smartphone tethering requirement and release a self-sufficient cellular Gear. And according to the latest reports from the Korean press, such a device might actually be on the way. The Korea Herald says a cellular Gear smartwatch, complete with SIM slot, will go to market as the "Samsung Gear Solo."
The Gear Solo name has already been registered with the Korean Intellectual Property Office, and it's easy to see how this kind of branding could apply to a smartwatch that could "go solo" without being paired to a phone.
The device, described as a "standalone" version of Samsung's current Gear 2 smartwatch, would be launched in Korea first, with the possibility of an international launch coming later. A cellular Gear would eliminate the need for users to also own a Samsung smartphone, potentially opening the device up to a wider audience. However the presence of battery-guzzling cellular radios would present their own technical challenges.
Samsung's latest series of smartwatches, the Gear 2, Gear 2 Neo and Gear Fit, launch internationally alongside the Galaxy S5 this week.
Source: Korea Herald; via: Smartwatch Fans
Reader comments
Samsung 'Gear Solo' could be a cellular-connected Gear 2
People are going to have a lot of fun time typing on this thing and looking up for contacts. It can go solo but i don't think it'll be easy to use.
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Use S-Voice instead? And have you seen the Minuum Keyboard demo on the OG Gear Watch?
I've seen it but typing on your wrist probably isn't going to make you feel comfortable, and most people don't wear the watch so tight that a finger press wouldn't move the watch around. And finding contacts will be difficult. And the new keyboard saves a lot of space but not all people are willing to learn how to use the new keyboard.
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I think you'd be surprised how many of us wear a Gear more tightly than our normal watches - it's easier to operate that way w/o it sliding around and it makes for a much easier heart rate check. Contact are very easy to look up and they've done a nice job overall with the functionality and navigation pieces already. I for one, would be all over a Minuum keyboard or any other on my Neo, as right now I have about 20 "canned" responses for texts that I use pretty effectively, but an actual keyboard would be well worth the space it took. If the Solo was going to be out soon, I'd trade my Neo in in a heartbeat for it - oh, the freedom!
"Samsung 'Gear Solo' could be a cellular-connected Gear 2"
- No shit Sherlock.
Did anyone REALLY think Samsung were making an entirely new smartwatch just to carry a cell/data radio??? They make two identical tablets when one is wifi only and one has a cell/data radio, so why wouldn't they do it for watches too?? Anyone who didn't see this coming, please slap the hell out of yourself. You deserve it.
Take it easy mang
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Take your midol, nutjob
We've seen smart watches with this capability on CES and yeah o believe they can make it but will people find it easy to use or feel comfortable using it?
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So it's a watch phone. Will it also come with a yellow fedora and trench coat
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