Sony has introduced its SmartWatch 2 but it's about to get some serious competition if rumours are correct. Two sources have told Bloomberg that the Galaxy Gear will launch on 4 September, just before IFA kicksoff.
That places the unveiling at Samsung's schedules Unpacked 2013 Episode 2 event which is where we expect to see the?Galaxy Note 3. Earlier in the year we predicted that Samsung's smartwatch would launch at an Unpacked event in the autumn.
The Samsung Galaxy Gear will run on Google's Android operating system and be able to make phone calls, surf the web and handle e-mails. We expect it will do plenty of other things too and connect to other devices via Bluetooth. NFC is another possibility for easy pairing and mobile payments in the future.
Despite previously leaked information, it won't have a flexible display going by these sources, but that's something Samsung is still working on putting into future devices.
By going on sale this year, a smartwatch from Samsung could well be a popular gadget this Christmas and might be bundles with its smartphones. However, it is likely to have competition from firms besides Sony. Apple, Google and Microsoft are all believed to be producing smartwatches.
We'll be heading out to IFA next month so we'll keep you up to date with news on the Galaxy Gear and a hands-on review if we can get hold of one.
