Samsung Gear Sport On The Horizon

Samsung Electronics has filed with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) a listing for a device which could very well be its long-rumored wearable.

According to news from Android Authority, the SM-R600 label is identified as the Samsung Gear Sport. It’s not clear when the wearable will hit market shelves, but a listing with the FCC indicates it may happen soon, reported Android Authority. The report speculated that Samsung Electronics could announce the fitness watch at the Unpacked event on August 23, which is being hyped to include a big reveal.

The report noted there are a lot of unknowns, including what the device will look like. The images that are part of the FCC filing look like a fitness watch, but Android Authority pointed out the FCC isn’t calling it a smartwatch — rather identifying it as a “wrist device.”

Android Authority noted it could very well be a smartwatch or fall into the fitness wearable category instead. Since May, rumors have been abounding that Samsung will roll out a wearable device with a launch anticipated at the Tizen Developer Conference earlier this year. There’s no mention about payments with the impending launch of the Samsung Gear Sport, but functionality is where the market is heading.

According to a recent news report in Bloomberg, which cited several people familiar with the matter, the iPhone creator is preparing to roll out a version of the Apple Watch that can make phone calls. The device will be able to connect directly to cellular networks and is slated for release later in 2017. Bloomberg reported some of the watches will have an LTE chip embedded in them, enabling the Apple wearable device to do many tasks without the need to be close to an iPhone. Current versions of the Apple Watch have to be connected to — paired with — an iPhone to send messages, access maps, get directions and stream music from a user’s library, among other functions.

According to Bloomberg, multinational technology company Intel is supplying the chip for the new Apple Watch. The partnership will be welcome news for Intel, which has struggled to maintain its dominance in a world led by smartphones and mobile devices rather than desktop and laptop computers.