Given Samsung’s penchant for pumping out tech devices of all shapes, sizes and variations, as well as its apparent unwillingness to let a popular design by a rival firm pass it by, it’s hardly surprising that the tech giant is reportedly prepping the launch of a smartwatch with a round display.
With the current crop of high-tech wrist-based timepieces sporting mainly square or rectangular displays – including Samsung’s current offerings – the appearance of Motorola’s round-faced Moto 360 smartwatch in March was an unexpected yet welcome development.
And now it seems that the enthusiastic chorus of praise heaped upon the device has helped focus the minds of Samsung’s R&D personnel, if the latest report from SamMobile is to be believed.
Related: Hands on with the Moto 360
An unnamed source told the site this week that the Seoul-based company was indeed working on a round-faced smartwatch, though beyond that information about the device is somewhat scarce. While no unveiling date was suggested by the source, there’s an outside chance Samsung could furnish us with a few details at its Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event in Berlin on September 3, just ahead of the city’s IFA consumer electronics trade show.
It’s true, Samsung wouldn’t be the only one to follow in the footsteps of Motorola with a round-faced alternative – LG, for example, recently teased wearable-tech fans with a video of its own upcoming circular smartwatch . And, of course, plenty more companies will, in time, enter the market with their own take on the design.
Samsung was quick to get into the smartwatch game, evidently keen to exploit the buzz around the new category of wearable tech. While its first device, the Galaxy Gear, wasn’t particularly well received when it launched last year, its more recent wrist-based offerings, particularly the Gear 2, have garnered a little more interest. However, with many consumers apparently keen to take a closer look at the Moto 360, the company will presumably be diverting resources to concentrate on getting its similarly shaped device into stores just as soon as it can.
