A new Samsung Gear smartwatch for the holidays?

There has been a rumor floating around that Samsung is getting ready to release the next generation of the Samsung Gear smartwatch during this upcoming holiday season. Over the past week, we’ve seen some evidence that may confirm this rumor to be true.

According to patents Samsung filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the next generation of Samsung’s Gear smartwatch is going to have a brand new look. The watch, which is rumored to be called Gear A, will have a new, circular interface. One of its coolest new features is the rotating ring around the frame, which will control watch functions like scrolling pages and zooming in and out.

A Samsung patent reveals a round watchface for the upcoming smartwatch.
Source: USPTO.

Samsung has also filed three trademarks, which were published by the USPTO this week. The circular interface with the rotating ring is called the “Samsung Wheel UX.” “W” is for a new Gear Brand. There was also “Glastyle,” for a type of glass designed specifically for Samsung’s smartwatches.

It looks like Samsung is gearing up to take on the Apple Watch, which has already outsold all of Samsung’s smartwatches. The hardware company sold about 1.2 million smartwatches in 2014. Releasing the Gear A during the holiday season is a strategic move that could work in Samsung’s favor.

Samsung released their first-generation Galaxy Gear smartwatch in 2013. Most of Samsung’s watches use a Tizen-based operating system, the exception being the Android Wear Gear Live. Gear A would be their seventh generation Gear smartwatch. It’s unknown which OS it will run on.

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