Polar, the Finnish company known for its fitness trackers and other wearables, is looking to re-enter the smartwatch market. This move could spell trouble for Samsung, as it would mean more competition in an already crowded market.
Sander Werring, CEO of Polar, recently spoke to Wareable about the company's future within the industry. Seeming enthused over the recent technological advancements on current wearable platforms, Werring confirmed that Polar was certainly keeping an eye on the Wear OS side of the playground. When asked about the company’s potential return to the smartwatch platform, he responded affirmatively, noting that it is an option worth considering in light of recent developments in the technology sector.
Samsung could be in for some fresh competition if Polar returns
The Polar M600 was the company's final Wear OS offering. While it first debuted in 2015, the company has yet to make another appearance in that space. Werring says it's probably because they were just a bit too far ahead of the curve. He reckons the tech has finally caught up and now is the time to launch a new Polar Wear OS device.
It's unclear whether Polar will take the plunge and make their own device or go the ‘Powered by Polar' route (in which Polar licenses its algorithms to third parties). That being said, their involvement with the Qualcomm Wearable Accelerator Program leads us to believe that the latter is more likely.
Concerning Samsung, it already faces quite a challenge in competing with other brands in the smartwatch industry – in particular, the tech giant known as Apple. With that in mind, it may be time for the South Korean company to up its game, and it seems they are already taking steps in that direction. If recent rumors are to be believed, Samsung could be returning to a curved display design for its Galaxy Watch 6, in addition to introducing a newer iteration of One UI for Watch, enhanced activity and health tracking capabilities, and improved battery life.
