SEOUL — Samsung unveiled the latest model of its smartwatch on Tuesday, two days earlier than initially planned, as the South Korean tech giant seeks to challenge Apple's global domination in the growing wearables market.
The round-faced Gear S2 is fitted with a 1.2-inch circular screen and allows for mobile payment and remote control over home appliances, as well as common phone calls and text messaging features, according to a company statement.
Samsung is hoping the new watch will compete with similar Apple products, after the U.S. tech giant became the top provider of wearable devices worldwide only months after the Apple Watch was unveiled in April.
The new smartwatch — the latest model by Samsung since last November — will be officially released later this month during the IFA trade fair in Berlin. Samsung has released a series of smartwatches since 2013. However, most of the models have been met with lukewarm responses from consumers.
Apple has dominated the wearable device sector, shipping about four million smartwatches globally in the second quarter — about 75% of the overall market — according to July estimates from market researcher Strategy Analytics.
Samsung came in second by a wide margin, after shipping 400,000 units during the same quarter.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2015
