Samsung and LG launch new watches while Apple waits

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="caption full-width" style="clear: both; float: none; margin: 0px 0px 15px; position: relative;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img alt="Samsung Gear S" height="351" src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/77215000/jpg/_77215891_77215890.jpg" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border: 0px; font-style: italic; position: relative;" width="624" /></span><span style="display: block; width: 624px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The Samsung Gear S has a curved screen, designed to be better suited to the wrist</span></span></div> <div class="story-feature related narrow" style="clear: right; display: inline; float: right; margin: 0px -160px 16px 16px; overflow: hidden; position: relative; width: 144px;"> <a class="hidden" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-28966866#story_continues_1" style="font-weight: bold; left: -5000px; position: absolute; text-decoration: none; top: -5000px;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Continue reading the main story</span></span></a><h2 style="border-bottom-color: rgb(216, 216, 216); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(216, 216, 216); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; margin: 0px 0px 8px; padding: 11px 0px 12px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Related Stories</span></span></h2> <ul class="related-links-list" style="border-top-style: none; clear: both; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 16px; padding: 8px 0px 0px;"> <li style="background-image: none; margin: 0px 0px 8px; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-rendering: auto;"><a class="story" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-28523869" rel="published-1406546251593" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black;">Hype and hi-tech</span></a></li> <li style="background-image: none; margin: 0px 0px 8px; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-rendering: auto;"><a class="story" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-28245659" rel="published-1404994881791" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black;">Giant rollable TVs on the horizon</span></a></li> <li style="background-image: none; margin: 0px 0px 8px; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-rendering: auto;"><a class="story" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-28020654" rel="published-1403734175251" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black;">Protesters interrupt Google event</span></a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="introduction" id="story_continues_1" style="clear: left; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">South Korean tech firms LG and Samsung have announced more smartwatches, ahead of a widely anticipated entry to the sector from Apple.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The devices, from LG and Samsung, suggest renewed attempts to create a smartwatch that is perhaps more fashionable than previous efforts.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Samsung's Gear S features a curved screen, while LG's G Watch R has a more classic watch design.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Apple is rumoured to be preparing to launch its device next month.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Technology news site Recode has said the smartwatch - dubbed iWatch by Apple's fans and some of the press - will debut on 9 September.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">However, in typically tight-lipped fashion, Apple has yet to confirm its plans.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Furthermore, analyst Benedict Evans <a href="https://twitter.com/benedictevans/status/504706134272262144" style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">noted</a> that a lack of leaks showing a design for the watch might suggest production had not yet started.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Other sources, <a href="http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887323829104578620870597408176?mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424127887323829104578620870597408176.html" style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">including the Wall Street Journal</a>, also anticipate the unveiling of a 12.9in iPad.</span></div> <div class="story-feature narrow" style="clear: right; display: inline; float: right; margin: 0px -160px 16px 16px; overflow: hidden; position: relative; width: 144px;"> <a class="hidden" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-28966866#story_continues_2" style="font-weight: bold; left: -5000px; position: absolute; text-decoration: none; top: -5000px;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Continue reading the main story</span></span></a><h2 class="quote" style="background-image: url(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/view/3_0_21/cream/hi/shared/img/story_sprite.png); background-position: 0px -188px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-color: rgb(216, 216, 216); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(216, 216, 216); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; clear: both; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 6px 0px 5px; position: relative; text-indent: -500px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"> <div style="text-indent: 0px;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“</span></span></div> <span style="display: block; margin: 0px 0px 5px; text-indent: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Start Quote</span></span></span></h2> <blockquote style="display: inline; float: left; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> <div class="first-child" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 12px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">No-one really knows what the killer design for a smartwatch is”</span></div> </blockquote> <span class="quote-credit" style="clear: both; display: block; margin: 0px 0px 8px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Ben Wood</span></span><span class="quote-credit-title" style="clear: both; display: block; margin: 0px 0px 8px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Analyst, CCS Insight</span></span></div> <span class="cross-head" style="display: block; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px 0px 16px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Killer design</span></span><br /> <div id="story_continues_2" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Other brands have been keen to set out their wares.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Smartwatches are expected to be a major focus of the forthcoming IFA conference.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The Berlin-based show is considered to be the European equivalent to the bigger Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held at the start of the year in Las Vegas.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">At last year's IFA, Samsung launched its first smartwatch, the Galaxy Gear, and has since gone on to launch five more.</span></div> <div class="caption body-width" style="clear: both; float: none; margin: 0px 0px 15px; position: relative;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img alt="LG smartwatch G Watch R" height="261" src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/77216000/jpg/_77216213_lg_g_watch_r_05.jpg" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border: 0px; font-style: italic; position: relative;" width="464" /></span><span style="display: block; width: 464px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">LG's new offering has a more traditional style of telling the time</span></span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The surge of products was a sign, one analyst told the BBC, that the company was throwing everything it had into getting ahead.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Samsung are deliberately trying to do something different," said Ben Wood, from CCS Insight, drawing attention to the latest model's curved screen.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"We're in an era of experimentation - no-one really knows what the killer design for a smartwatch is.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Samsung's playing their strengths because they have curved screen technology in their portfolio.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"It does look very edgy in terms of design. Ergonomically, a curved screen makes a lot of sense around your wrist."</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The Gear S uses Samsung's own operating system - Tizen - rather than Google's Android platform.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The watch also has space for a SIM card, meaning it can be used as a stand-alone device - other smartwatches are typically paired with a user's smartphone in order to receive information.</span></div> <span class="cross-head" style="display: block; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px 0px 16px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">'Fashion statement'</span></span><br /> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Yet while Samsung does have a lead in the smartwatch market, it is certainly not a commanding one.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">One reason for this, Mr Wood suggested, could be because the devices - from Samsung and others - are not seen as being particularly fashionable.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"They've got to look nice to be attractive to the mass market," he said. "A clunky piece of gadget bling is not really what the whole world wants.</span></div> <div class="caption body-width" style="clear: both; float: none; margin: 0px 0px 15px; position: relative;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img alt="Moto 360 smartwatch" height="261" src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/77216000/jpg/_77216019_ab186477-7134-42e9-a2ed-94dac88f5be4.jpg" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border: 0px; font-style: italic; position: relative;" width="464" /></span><span style="display: block; width: 464px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The Moto 360 impressed tech fans due to its round shape</span></span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Watches are first and foremost a fashion statement, it says something about you as a person."</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Motorola drew plaudits earlier this year when it announced its Moto 360 smartwatch, which had a distinctive trait - it was round.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">LG's G Watch R follows that line of design, adding more traditional aspects including analogue-style hands to display the time.</span></div> <div style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It is powered by Android Wear, Google's adapted operating system for wearable devices.</span></div> </div>

Samsung and LG launch new watches while Apple waits

The Samsung Gear S has a curved screen, designed to be better suited to the wrist Continue reading the main story Related Stories Hyp...

Read more »