Samsung Electronics Co. would introduce a wristwatch-like gadget called Galaxy Gear on September 4, 2013. Two people with knowledge of the matter said Galaxy Gear could handle e-mail services, make phone calls and surf the web.
Galaxy Gear would be powered by the Android operating system of Google. It would compete against Apple's version of the smartwatch, iWatch. Samsung's device would be unveiled two days before the start of the Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin's Consumer Electronics Show in Berlin.
Samsung, the largest technology corporation in Asia, is currently racing against other electronic manufacturers like Sony Corp. in the smartwatch market. Its latest product was designed to make a new industry of wearable gadgets as the market for high-end handsets is nearing saturation.
The international watch industry was expected to generate over USD60 billion in sales this year. Analysts said that the first corporations to offer gadgets that could multitask would be able to lock buyers into using their platform. This would further boost their shipments of smartphones, tablets and televisions.
Juniper Research, a mobile research firm, expected more than 18 million smart wearable devices to be shipped this year. Juniper added that sales would rise to 170 million by the end of 2018.
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