Earlier this week, we reported – wait, I did – that Microsoft had confirmed that they are working on prototypes of their own “Glass” to rival Google’s. The company is presently contracting Asian component makers to provide cameras and other essentials for the device. However, sources close to the project cautioned that the device might never see mass-production.
Samsung’s sports glasses
Now it appears that Samsung has similar ideas in mind, something that shouldn’t come as a tremendous shock given Samsung’s size and already-released Galaxy Gear “smartwatch.” That said, if Galaxy Gear is any indication of Samsung’s prowess in wearable tech, I doubt many Glass engineers at Google are looking down to their wrists at their Galaxy Gears and counting the minutes until they are let go by Google.
Based on a design patent registered with the Korea Intellectual Property Rights Information Service, the “sports glasses,” to which Samsung is seeking a patent, will offer a link to a smartphone for “alerts and easy control.”
Based on reporting by The Wall Street Journal, the headgear should also include headphones and a microphone for taking calls or listening to music when the hands are otherwise occupied.
Samsung is reportedly developing a wearable gadget that appears to rival Google Glass.
Samsung’s Galaxy Gear line
The South Korean electronics giant rarely if ever comments on speculation and so far have not responded to either PCWorld nor The Wall Street Journal‘s emails for comment. Patent applications ultimately mean very little when it comes to actual mass-production, but if Samsung were to pull the trigger on its “Glass” it would join the critically scathed Galaxy Gear in its wearable tech line.
The Galaxy Gear features a 1.63-inch Super AMOLED, 320-by-320 display, a horrible battery, and little functionality. Certainly I could include additional technical specifications but since so few people are considering its purchase that would only be folly. Yesterday, Samsung did finally allow Galaxy Gear to connect with phones beyond the Galaxy Note 3, which was unveiled the same day, and promises more connectivity by the end of the month.
While Google’s Glass seems to concentrate on everyday use and riling up privacy advocates; the Samsung patent application, according to the Journal, appears to be focused on the “sporty” nature of its product. Read Rodney Dangerfield’s NASA-designed putter in the 1980 film Caddyshack?
