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Samsung confirms its fifth smartwatch, which is powered by its fourth different OS

Published Apr 16th, 2014 9:00AM EDT
Samsung Android Wear

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If you’re confused when it comes to Samsung’s smartwatch strategy, don’t worry — it looks like Samsung is just as confused as you are.

Last year, the company launched the Galaxy Gear, powered by a heavily customized version of Android. Suffice it to say we were not fans of the Galaxy Gear.

Earlier this month, three new smartwatches were added to the company’s lineup. The Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo are powered by Samsung’s own Tizen software, and the Gear Fit runs a completely different real-time operating system.

Now, Reuters has confirmed with Hankil Yoon, Samsung’s senior vice president of product design, that the company is currently developing its fifth smartwatch. And in keeping with the company’s strategy thus far, Verge says it has confirmed what Yoon hints at in his Reuters interview: The new device will run Android Wear, which is a tweaked version of Android that Google unveiled earlier this year.

This will be the fourth different software platform Samsung has used to power its smartwatches.

If the emerging smartphone market is a battle field, Samsung apparently wants every weapon it can possibly stuff into its arsenal.

Yoon also confirmed to Reuters that Samsung is working on a new high-end smartphone powered by its Tizen operating system, and it will apparently launch sometime in the next couple of months.

Zach Epstein
Zach Epstein Executive Editor

Zach Epstein has been the Executive Editor at BGR for more than 15 years. He manages BGR’s editorial team and ensures that best practices are adhered to. He also oversees the Ecommerce team and directs the daily flow of all content. Zach first joined BGR in 2007 as a Staff Writer covering business, technology, and entertainment.

His work has been quoted by countless top news organizations, and he was recently named one of the world's top 10 “power mobile influencers” by Forbes. Prior to BGR, Zach worked as an executive in marketing and business development with two private telcos.