Samsung times release of smartwatch perfectly

The battle to win the smartwatch market has ratcheted up another notch with Samsung Electronics’ application for US and South Korean trademarks.

Samsung described the Galaxy Gear as a wearable digital electronic device in the form of a wristwatch, wrist band, or bangle in its application with the US Patent and Trademark Office. A month earlier, it applied for a Samsung Gear trademark in South Korea.

It has been suggested the smartwatch could be launched at next month’s IFA technology fair in Berlin, Germany.

The trademark applications did not show the shape of the products, but drawings from a Samsung design patent approved in May show a watch-like design with a flexible screen that curves around the wrist.

The US trademark application said the device will be “capable of providing access to the internet, for sending and receiving phone calls, electronic mails, and messages”, as well as “for keeping track of or managing personal information”.

The trademark filings show that Samsung is deep in preparations for what tech industry experts expect will be a new generation of mobile technology that dramatically expands the utility of single-function objects such as watches and glasses.

Apple last month applied for a trademark in Japan for an iWatch. It has long been speculated that Apple is working on a smartwatch that uses a version of the operating system that powers the iPhone and iPad.

The company has not confirmed those rumours but chief executive Tim Cook has hinted it may be developing a wearable computing device.

According to the Financial Times, Apple is “aggressively” hiring new employees to help with its smartwatch effort, suggesting the company needs additional expertise to tackle the project’s challenges. Sources also indicate that the iWatch may not appear until late next year.

Google is testing an early version of internet-connected spectacles called Glass. It uses a small screen above the right eye that displays information and imagery retrieved from the internet.

The South Korean patent office said the Samsung Gear trademark will not be approved this year as it takes seven to eight months to start reviewing applications due to a waiting list. Samsung applied for the South Korean trademark on Jun 21.

It was not clear if Samsung would use the Galaxy Gear trademark for a smartwatch. The trademark application covers 38 possible products including mobile phones, bracelets, glasses, and software interfaces that monitor human vital signs.

South Korea’s patent office said last month that Samsung had patented watch designs in which more than three-quarters of the device is covered by a flexible display that curves around the wrist. Illustrations showed ‘back’ and ‘home’ buttons at the bottom of the screen. Another illustration shows a rectangular screen with an edge that tapers toward the top.

The product is made of metal, synthetic, and glass materials, Samsung’s patent document states.

Samsung executive vice-president Lee Young Hee said in March that the company’s mobile division has been working on a smartwatch. Samsung declined to confirm the report then.

Company spokeswoman Chenny Kim declined to comment on the patent applications.