Samsung will launch a connected headset similar to Google Glass in September, a new report says. The device will reportedly run on the Tizen operating system, already on some of Samsung’s Gear smartwatches, and the company plans to unveil it at the upcoming Berlin IFA technology show.
As noted by SamMobile, Business Korea quotes a Samsung “associate” who discusses the company’s plans for a head-mounted device. The source even goes so far as to call the device “Gear Glass,” although it’s unclear if that will be the official name.
A Samsung patent filing from October 2013 tipped the company’s plans for a smart glasses device, which, from the diagrams, will function remarkably similar to Google Glass, mounting a virtual display over one of the wearer’s eyes. That the product will run on Tizen isn’t surprising considering it’s the same OS that powers Samsung’s Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo smartwatches as well as upcoming smartphones.
The IFA trade show is a logical choice to unveil the device. Samsung unveiled its first major wearable, the Galaxy Gear smartwatch, at IFA 2013, and the company tends to be a dominant presence at the show. The show begins Sept. 5.
The news of Samsung’s entry into the smart glasses category comes on the heels of Google making Glass available to everyone, albeit for the current “beta” version and for the cost of $1,500. Other manufacturers — including Vuzix and Epson — already offer smart glasses, and both Apple and Microsoft are thought to be working on versions of their own.
source: mashable.com
