Samsung's Galaxy Gear smartwatch may not have created much of an impact in the wearable technology space, but its successor - the Galaxy Gear 2 - holds more promise per rumors.
According to ZDNet Korea, which is usually on the money when it comes to unannounced plans of companies, the Galaxy Gear 2 will be much improved from its predecessor. The site cites Samsung officials as its source of information.
"According to the industry source, Samsung Electronics 'Galaxy Gear 2' will have totally different design and flexible screen. Many are wondering if this one will be redeem itself from the failure of the first Galaxy Gear," per ZDNet Korea (translated).
The Galaxy Gear 2 will not only be redesigned, but be marketed as more of a fashion product rather than a tech gadget this time round. Moreover, the wearable device will likely tout a flexible OLED screen, which may be curved. This seems plausible as Samsung has shown off its curved displays before and its Galaxy Round smartphone boasts of the same as well.
Additionally, the new design will likely match the curve of the screen, making the device more comfortable to be worn on the wrist when compared to the Galaxy Gear's bulky design.
The sources have also disclosed that the Galaxy Gear 2 will possibly be introduced at an event in London in March or April. This time frame also seems possible as Samsung's EVP of mobile business Lee Young Hee revealed earlier in January this year that the smartwatch would launch alongside the Galaxy S5 smartphone, which is also anticipated to release this Spring.
"We've been announcing our first flagship model in the first half of each year, around March and April, and we are still targeting for release around that time. When we release our S5 device, you can also expect a Gear successor with more advanced functions, and the bulky design will also be improved," said Lee at the time.
Previously, rumors have suggested that the Galaxy Gear 2 will be 15 percent to 20 percent slimmer than the previous iteration. It will likely be able to pair with Android 4.4 KitKat-based Galaxy smartphones, but it is unclear whether the smartwatch will also be backwards compatible with devices on Jelly Bean.
