Pockets and purses without cell phones may become a real thing again, if Samsung is in fact preparing to launch a smart watch that requires no tether to a smartphone.
It's being called the Gear Solo. And if reports are true, the standalone smart watch will be constructed with a slot to house its own universal subscriber identity module (USIM) card.
Reports of the Gear Solo emerged through several Korean news organizations, which pointed to insiders with knowledge of Samsung's plans. While the Gear Solo was said to be able to roam lone-wolf style, without the support of a smartphone, the wearable tech was also said to feature 3G support instead of LTE.
If Samsung is, in fact, preparing to release a standalone smart watch, the public may get its first glance of the watch on Sept. 4 at IFA in Berlin. The Gear Solo has been expected to launch alongside the Galaxy Note 4, Samsung's latest phablet.
While the Gear Solo wouldn't be the first standalone smart watch to go to market, it'd be the first from one of the global mobile market's top players. Much is still unknown about Apple's incoming smart watch.
After being edged out by Xiaomi in China and losing out to Micromax in India, the pressure for Samsung to innovate and shake up its strategy continues to rise -- Xiaomi also now says it intends to step up its presence in India.
Canalys Research, a market research firm, says it doesn't expect Samsung's sales to continue to shrink in the third quarter of 2014 at the rate at which they shrank during the second quarter.
"Samsung's efforts to realign its channel inventory to meet changing demand during the quarter led to a reduction in its overall shipment numbers that is not expected to affect Q3 2014 to a similar extent, though with the market in China becoming even more competitive, it will not be straightforward to re-establish leadership," stated Canalys Research.
Jingwen Wang, Canalys Research analyst, attribute's Xiaomi's surge to the company's careful execution of its strategies to expand. However, both Xiaomi and Samsung will need to move beyond 3G and expand their LTE offerings, according to Wang.
"[Xiaomi] has delivered compelling products at aggressive price points, focused chiefly on its locally relevant MIUI software features and services, backed by effectively targeted marketing," stated Wang. "In particular, its affordable RedMi range is booming and has been the driver for growth, despite attracting less global media attention than its flagship Mi products. But it does now need to deliver LTE products in China to address growing demand for 4G services if it is to retain its momentum."
