Samsung moves on fashion industry, teases circular smart watch

At the launch of Galaxy S6 edge+ Samsung also revealed it had partnered with a bunch of influential fashion types in an apparent bid to refresh the band ahead of a new smart watch launch.

Samsung is calling this initiative Fashion Forward and for the purpose of the launch it was designed to show off the creative capabilities of the edge+ as well as the Note 5, which was unveiled at the same time. But the underlying aim is probably a move to revitalise the Samsung brand, especially in the light of Apple’s positioning of its watch as a fashion item.

There was no specific mention of the next Samsung smart watch, but the Gear S2 is expected to be formally launched at IFA on 3 September. Previous Samsung smart watches have hardly flown off the shelves, despite it being one of the first to market, and the Korean giant must be feeling the pressure from what seems to have been a reasonably strong start from Apple.

But we did get a ‘lookbook’, which seems to be the collective noun for a bunch of arty photos, in this case taken by photographer Steven Klein. “Some people think of technology as impersonal, but it is actually highly personal and emotional,” said Klein. “Technology, like Samsung’s, connects people like never before. It’s this sense of connection that inspired us to highlight the range of emotions that even something as simple as a text message, photo or phone call can evoke.” There was more of that sort of thing from the models, which you can experience in the video below.

As the smartphone industry continues to mature, and as a consequence margin is ever harder to come by, companies like Samsung need to find novel ways to add value to their products. Apple is probably correct to position the Apple Watch more as a fashion item than a techy device and this seems to have inspired Samsung. Despite hoping to supplant the analogue wristwatch, Apple decided to go with a square face. Samsung’s decision to go circular could put it at an advantage.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSTkL0Px8J4