Samsung is reportedly launching a standalone watch phone within the next few months.
The Wall Street Journal spoke with people familiar with Samsung’s device plans, who said the device will actually place and receive phone calls without needing to be tethered to a smartphone. The report outfits the device with a camera, GPS, Bluetooth, a heart-rate monitor and email functionality.
Samsung is reportedly in talks with U.S. wireless providers about the yet-unnamed device, which could be announced as soon as June or July. The report said the watch phone will run the Tizen operating system.
The news comes as Samsung gears up for a May 28 press event. An invite received by Wireless Week came with the cryptic tagline “Voice of the Body.”
The watch phone will reportedly come with its own SIM.
Samsung’s Galaxy Gear lineup were some of the first to hop on the latest smartwatch wave. But those smartwatches require a connection to a Samsung device in order to receive phone calls.
As Samsung has gravitated toward using Tizen in its smartwatches, Google has emerged with Android Wear, a version of its mobile OS geared specifically toward wearable technology. One of the first devices slated for release running Android Wear is Motorola’s much-anticipated Moto 360 smartwatch. The round-face device is rumored to be priced around $250.
Filed Under: Devices
