Will Samsung's smartwatch be called the GEAR?

Discovery of Samsung's trademark filings reveal the potential name for a forthcoming smartwatch.

Discovery of Samsung's trademark filings reveal the potential name for a forthcoming smartwatch.

The South Korean company has confirmed that it is making a smartwatch and now, thanks to Phandroid, we know that it will likely be called the Samsung GEAR.

The blog unearthed a filing, made at the US Patent and Trademark office on June 27, for the use of the name GEAR in relation to clocks, wristwatches and bracelets. In the Identification section of the filing, the company outlines 'watches that communicate data to personal digital assistants, smartphones, table PCs, PDA, and personal computers through internet websites and other computer and electronic communications networks.'

In recent days, trademark filings in Russia, Mexico, Colombia, Turkey, Japan and Taiwan for the term 'iWatch,' made by Apple have set tongues wagging. This is mainly because Apple never, ever divulges what it has planned until the moment it chooses to launch a new product or serivce. Compare that with Samsung who has been forced on three separate occasions this year to announce a new product before its official launch because it has already leaked, often months in advance.

In the course of its digging, Phandroid also unearthed a trademark application from Qualcomm for the 'TOQ,' which, according to the accompanying description, is also a smartwatch.

Since the beginning of 2013, LG, Intel and Acer have also confirmed that they are working on wearable devices and rumors have persisted that as well as Apple, Google and Microsoft are poised to enter the wrist-worn computing sector.