The Wall Street Journal is saying that Samsung, which already has several bits of wristware in its product line, will come out this summer with a wrist-worn communicator that will not require a cellphone.
Citing “people familiar with the company’s plans,” the Journal says the device will run the open-source Tizen operating system (like the Gear Fit and Gear 2, but unlike the original Gear or the coming onslaught of Android Wear devices). Besides making and receiving calls, the device will take photos, send and receive e-mail, and have GPS, Bluetooth, and a heart monitor.
The device would not be the first one of its kind, although it may become the first one to ship. Omate had a successful Kickstarter campaign funded for its TrueSmart watch, which promises many of the capabilities of the Samsung watch the Journal describes. Pre-orders for the $299 Omate watch end on May 31st, and its website implies delivery in mid-July.