Samsung may launch its standalone smartwatch – which rumors and leaks have suggested will be called the Gear Solo – as early as next month, according to a report published by the Wall Street Journal. According to WSJ, the Gear Solo will not only be able to make calls without needing a connection to a smartphone, but also feature things like GPS, Bluetooth, a heart rate monitor, and a camera. The probability of the watch having GPS might not be that high, however, as a Samsung official had earlier said that the battery technology for smartwatches doesn't allow for power-hungry features such as GPS, though it's possible the company has since found a way to get around the issue.
Of course, the fact that the watch is expected to run Tizen should also help battery life, as Samsung's in-house operating system has been found to be more frugal than Android in power usage (well, almost every other OS seems to sip less power than Android, though that's a different story.) Samsung is reportedly in talks with major carriers in the U.S., South Korea, and Europe about launching the Gear Solo (again, a tentative name) – the Gear Solo was found to be under testing in India earlier this month, which is a good hint that a market release could happen soon.
A standalone smartwatch isn't the only thing Samsung is said to be working on. Rumors suggest that a virtual reality headset compatible with Galaxy phones and tablets is also in the works, along with smart glasses that might combine a head-mounted display and a Bluetooth speaker, with a possible announcement in September.
