Samsung Electronics is gearing up to enable its watches to work with rival Apple Inc’s mobile devices in a bid to reach a wider audience for its wearable accessories beyond its own phone users, an executive said.
Richard Knight, Samsung’s head of global product management, confirmed media reports in South Korea which said the company is running beta tests of the latest Samsung smartwatches to ensure compatibility with Apple iPhones.
“We have a beta trial now in Korea,” the Samsung executive said following the introduction of new smartwatches in Berlin. 
“It is completely open. It involves about 2,000 people. So we are making some real progress there.”
Knight offered no timeframe for when compatible products might be announced but said it was very much in the works.
“It is absolutely our goal to make it compatible with iOS as well,” he said, referring to Apple’s operating system software for phones and tablets. 
“We don’t want people who have an iOS device having a bad experience with our own devices.”
Samsung is the world’s largest maker of mobile phones which run on Google Android software. 
Samsung’s line of Gear smartwatches run on in-house-developed software known as Tinzen.
The company held 22.8 percent of the mobile handset market in the second quarter, twice the share of Apple, the world’s No.2 maker, according to research firm Strategy Analytics.
Samsung Electronics unveiled two new smartwatches which boast a range of digital features while also promising up to four days of battery life, seeking to outshine the Apple Watch.
The world’s biggest maker of consumer electronic products introduced its new line of Gear S3 watches ahead of this week’s opening in Berlin of the IFA, Europe’s biggest annual trade fair for consumer electronics and domestic appliances.
The new Gear S3 Frontier model has a rugged outdoor look, while the Gear S3 Classic has a more refined appearance, but both watches feature large faces that are likely to appeal mainly to male consumers.
The Frontier model has its own cellular radio chip to connect to high speed 4G mobile networks so it does not need to be “tethered” to the wearer’s smartphone in order to make calls or send and receive data, unlike Apple watches, which require an iPhone to remain nearby for their connections.
Apple, the current market leader in smartwatches, is expected to introduce its new Apple Watch 2 line-up a week from now, on September 7, along with new phones and computers.
Gadget news sites have reported that Apple is considering introducing smartwatches with their own cellular radio in 2017, but won’t offer such a feature in its upcoming models fearing it would further drain their batteries, which typically last around 24 hours in current models before needing to be recharged.
The latest Samsung smartwatches offer always-on color dislays, dust and water resistance features, a built-in speaker and GPS location-finding technology. They also enable users to make mobile payments in countries where Samsung Pay is available.
Pricing was not disclosed for the new Gear S3 watches, which are due to go on sale before the end of the year.
Samsung’s existing line of Gear S2 watches retail at major online sites for around $250 to $300, comparable to pricing for the most basic sports version of the Apple Watch.

Source: Arab News