Casio says it is ‘prepared’ to rival Apple iWatch and Samsung Galaxy Gear
Ahead of next week’s expected Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch unveiling, watchmaker Casio has stated that it is ‘prepared’ for the competition.
A longstanding presence on the digital watch scene, Casio has launched a selection of smarter timepieces in recent years, including the smartphone syncing, Bluetooth compatible Casio G-Shock GB6900AA shown off at CES earlier this year, with the company now claiming it is ready to take on the likes of Apple and Samsung.
With smartwatches expected to be a major growth area in the tech industry over the coming year, with the Apple Watch and Samsung Galaxy Gear both mooted for release,
“Suddenly, everyone’s discovered the wrist,” Kazuo Kashio, CEO of Casio stated in a recent interview with the New York Times. “We’ve known for a long time it’s prime real estate. We’re prepared.”
With the Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch expected to be unveiled alongside the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 smartphone during Wednesday’s September 4 Mobile Unpacked event at IFA 2013, it is believed the advanced wristwear will talk with user’s smartphones to offer Android based call, email and messaging alerts.
With Casio announcing its readiness to challenge the leading players of the tech scene, industry analysts have predicted that although the watch specialist has planned for the competition it could still struggle to match up to the might of its new rivals.
“Casio has done a pretty good job in anticipating the market,” Serkan Toto, an independent Tokyo-based technology analyst said. “But if Apple or Samsung come into this market with better functionality, better design and a better operating system, that would be trouble.”
Toto’s comments have been echoed by others, with Kuninori So, VP of consultancy firm ROA Holdings stating: “Until now, smartwatches haven’t quite been able to find their raison d’être. If Apple comes out with a revolutionary smartwatch with a beautifully easy to use interface, that could change.”
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