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Samsung Gear S4 could be the 'Galaxy Watch', new Gear Fit in the cards

By Milen Yanachkov

Published: May 14, 2018, 6:17 AM

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Samsung Gear S4 could be the 'Galaxy Watch', new Gear Fit in the cards

Samsung recently trademarked the 'Galaxy Watch' and 'Galaxy Fit' names, presumably for use in its future endeavors in wearables, and this could be a big deal. Samsung's current wearable lineups are split under the Gear and Gear Fir monikers. It's a name that the company has been using for various phone accessories and smaller devices, but it seems that as far as fitness trackers and smartwatches are concerned, things may change in 2018.

A recent trademark application published by the USPTO reveals that Samsung now owns the Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Fit monikers. The question is, does the company intend to use them, or is it simply protecting its intellectual property? Given the huge success of Samsung's Galaxy lineup of smartphones -- in both the flagship and mid-range segments -- it would make sense for the company to fold its wearable products under the same branding. The Galaxy brand is widely recognized and associated with Samsung, so the recent trademark application could indicate a serious intent on Samsung's part to rename its current Gear and Gear Fit lines of wearables.

A new Samsung fitness tracker could be in the works

The Samsung Galaxy Watch not only sounds good, but seeing as how 2018 is the fifth anniversary of the Samsung Gear watch (the first of which was called the Samsung Galaxy Gear), now would be the time to do it. The one downside of such a move would be the potential confusion it may cause among customers. The Galaxy brand is very, very popular, indeed, and closely associated with Samsung's name, but the Gear branding has been a part of the company's wearable lineups for a long time as well. All said and done, however, if Samsung pulls the trigger on this, whatever confusion the move may cause, it will likely be short-lived and pay the way for better things to come.

In the long run, having your most popular products under the same brand will result in less confusion among consumers, even less informed ones. And seeing as how the Gear S3 and Gear Sport have enjoyed quite a bit of popularity, it would only make sense for Samsung to present their successors under the 'Galaxy' moniker. But the USPTO trademark application suggests another interesting development that may be in the cards for Samsung wearables -- a possible successor to the 2016 Gear Fit 2.

Now, Samsung could have just filed for the 'Galaxy Fit' trademark just because, but it could also mean that the company is working on another fitness tracker. 2016 saw the release of the Gear Fit 2 and Gear Fit 2 Pro, but the company has since been quiet on future fitness tracking wearables. With the 'Galaxy Fit' name now owned by Samsung, we could very well see a new entry in the Fit lineup this year or next.

Another thing to expect from the Gear S4, or Galaxy Watch, is two size options. Taking a page from Apple's book, Samsung is expected to offer its latest smartwatch in two sizes, so as to better suit the needs of its customers. Gear watches have thus far been available in a single size that's changed between models, but many people have been clamoring for more options to chose from. Well, recent leaks point to just that -- two sizes for the Galaxy Watch.

With the evergrowing popularity of the Apple Watch, and three Pixel watches on the horizon, Samsung may face exceptionally stiff competition this year. This gives us only more reason to believe that some radical changes may be coming to its Gear-line of devices, both branding- and hardware-wise. If you want to get up to speed with all the information about Samsung's upcoming smartwatch, check out our comprehensive Gear S4 rumor review.