Between Google Glass and the rumored iWatch from Apple, it looks like wearable computers might just be the next disruptive tech of the future. Of course, Samsung would never let an opportunity go unanswered, (or a great idea uncopied
). They plan to offer a competitor smartwatch of their own. In fact, they have been working on one for some time. To be fair, even though we cracked the joke about Samsung copying Apple's idea, in this instance, it might be just the opposite. Apparently Samsung has been working on smartwatch concepts since 1999, as shown above in this patent they filed at that time and won in 2003. In reality, this simply shows tech companies have R&D projects which mirror what is going on at their competitors. Perhaps this is just another argument for revamping the patent system.
At any rate, it looks like all the companies are working on "the next big thing" since we are rapidly approaching a saturation point for smartphones. Whatever new tech takes off, it will be interesting to see who gets it to market first. Samsung certainly is going to try. Here's a quote from Lee Young Hee, executive vice president of Samsung’s mobile business,
Will Samsung beat Apple to the punch this time? Will wearable computing actually take off as a viable product? Share your prognostications.
Source: UnWiredView
