Samsung has certainly become known for its smartphones, but is the South Korean manufacturer ready for smartwatches?  The company is said to be revealing the Galaxy Note III at IFA 2013 in Germany.  Reports have claimed that the phablet will be packing the Smart features found on the Galaxy S4, a 13PM camera and it will be launching with Android 4.3.  But aside from this new phablet, sources have claimed that Samsung will also be showcasing its smartwatch at the event.  Dubbed as the Galaxy Gear, the smartwatch will allow users to make phone calls, send and receive emails and even browse the web.

It’s not clear yet as to whether it will be a stand alone device or a companion device for phablets.  It would make a lot of sense if the Galaxy Gear were a phablet companion, eliminating the need to whip out your gigantic phone in public, reserving the use of a phablet for when you’re sitting down or when it’s placed on a table.

What people want from a smartwatch

Previously dubbed the Galaxy Altius, the Galaxy Gear’s features and spec sheets have yet to surface.  But in the past, we’ve curated some concept designs that people would love to see on a smartwatch.  The standout design comes from Hiromi Kiriki, who designed a flexible smartwatch that transform into a phablet and even has a stretchable keyboard.  It’s quite futuristic looking and reminds you of the movie Tron Legacy.

Aside from an awesome looking design, a smartwatch needs to have at least a fitness tracker, since that’s the fad these days, and should work well with other devices.  We are already in the connected era, so it would be really cool if we could use our smartwatch to turn our smart light on or off, lock or unlock doors, check home security and other things that can be done using a smartphone and an app.  It wouldn’t make sense to have a wearable smart device that can’t really do much or at least enhance the smartphone experience.

Samsung’s timing could make a difference as well, given its top contender’s upcoming press event.  Earlier this week the world learned of Apple’s plans to host a press event September 10, with the expectation of a new iPhone, or even a new product like a smartwatch.  Both companies are always thinking of ways to outdo the other, and being the first of these two to reveal a smartwatch could mesmerize consumers.  Or it could backfire.  It could be greatly scrutinized once Apple releases its own smartwatch.

Steep competition

Speaking of Apple, the Cupertino giant was reported to have fast-tracked hiring for its special project, which is said to be the iWatch.  Much like the Galaxy Gear, nothing much has surfaced regarding the iWatch except for speculations and of course concept designs.

One notable iWatch concept design comes from digital designer James Ivaldi and his team. The watch is something you’d expect from Apple.  It’s made of high quality materials and in a nutshell, it looks like a flexible iPhone.  The good thing about it is that since the screen essentially wraps around your wrist, it has a long screen that is able to feature the face of a watch and the home screen at the same time.  You just have to rotate the device a bit if you want it to either reflect the time or the home screen.

As for whether or not the iWatch will function as a stand alone device or a companion device, we’ve yet to hear any news on this.  But it would be great if the manufacturers would make these wearable technology a stand alone device.  First, you won’t need to own a smartphone to use it and it will give them a leg up on Google Glass in the wearable technology market.