Samsung Gear S4 may arrive as “Galaxy Watch” based on Wear OS

Android Authority

The Samsung Gear S3.

The leaker known as Ice universe has dropped some potential details regarding Samsung’s rumored Gear S4 smartwatch.

Ice universe suggests the unannounced wearable may go by the name Galaxy Watch, and that its OS may be based on Android Wear. This could mean it’s a new Samsung OS, or that this smartwatch will run Google’s Wear OS (formerly Android Wear) rather than Samsung’s typical Tizen platform.

Ice universe also mentions “new UX interaction,” which could mean the crown or bezel, or perhaps additional buttons, will offer original functionality.

About Gear S4 (probably called Galaxy Watch) Based on Android Wear, 470mAh battery, PLP package, it is expected to have new UX interaction and blood pressure measurement.

— Ice universe (@UniverseIce) July 6, 2018

The Galaxy Watch may also have a way to take blood pressure measurements. This isn’t something that’s easy to do — it generally involves an inflating band strapped around your arm to cut off blood circulation — but Samsung may have come up with a clever way to do this via the watch (this patent suggests it’s technically possible).

Samsung likely intends to target more health and fitness-related features with its future wearable(s). The most popular wrist wearables of today include fitness trackers from brands like Fitbit and Garmin. The Apple Watch, which is currently the biggest selling smartwatch, also places a large focus on health, but it doesn’t offer the blood pressure measurements that could potentially help set the Galaxy Watch apart.

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We’d heard previously (from the same source) that the Galaxy Watch would have a larger battery than Samsung’s last watch, the Gear S3, at 470mAh compared to 380mAh. This was also reaffirmed in the latest tweet.

Finally, the PLP (panel level package) mentioned relates to a new chip manufacturing process which should result in smaller boards that are cheaper to produce. This could mean the unit is smaller and cheaper than its predecessors, or that extra space in the body could be filled up by the larger battery.

Speculation suggests Samsung is gearing up to release the Galaxy Watch this August. We should have more in the coming weeks.

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