Wearable technology has been the rave of the tech industry for the past year or so, as many users view it as the new big thing. From fitness trackers to smartwatches, every company is reportedly working on something to be placed on the body. Samsung has already started its trek into wearables with its Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch. Although the response to the watch has been lukewarm, Samsung hasn’t appeared to be deterred from heading further into wearables, as now it’s reported that they have filed a patent for a glass device that would presumably compete with Google Glass. According gigaom:
“Samsung may not have hit it out of the park with the Galaxy Gear smartwatch, but perhaps it’ll have more luck with another new wearable. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Samsung has filed a design patent in Korea for connected eyewear referred to as “sports glasses. They bear a striking resemblance to Google Glass.
“According to the report, Samsung’s glasses place more of an emphasis on ‘the ‘sporty’ aspect’ of wearables. The patent shows that the glasses could come with built-in earphones, which would allow you to listen to music and answer calls while you’re wearing it. It also links with your smartphone to display phone alerts. It looks like there’s also a camera, but there’s no word about support for apps, like Google Glass.”
Focusing on a specific niche like sports may have its advantages later down the line, however a limited version of what Google has to offer may not be appealing to either techies or mass market consumers. But Samsung has always been good at putting something out and then adjusting it along the way. We’ll just have to see when Samsung actually releases the new product.
