Samsung may launch its standalone smartwatch – which rumors and leakshave 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 avirtual 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.


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