Trademark filing in US suggests Samsung readying smartwatch

A recent trademark filing with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office suggests Samsung intends to produce a smartwatch, tech watchers say. The trademark filing for Galaxy Gear contains wording referring to "Wearable digital electronic devices in the form of a wristwatch, wristband, or bangle [that] are capable of providing access to the Internet and sending and receiving phone calls, electronic mail, and messages," CNET reported Monday. Renderings filed with the application suggest a device offering touch controls and other smartphone functions including power, microUSB and a speaker. While Samsung has confirmed plans to release a smartwatch, it has not disclosed any information about timing, availability or hardware details. "We've been preparing the watch product for so long," Lee Young Hee, executive vice president of Samsung's mobile business, said in an interview with Bloomberg. "We are working very hard to get ready for it. We are preparing products for the future, and the watch is definitely one of them."