Samsung was among the first to jump into the nascent wearables market when it unveiled the Galaxy Gear back in 2013. It could soon enter a new wearables market category. Information from a number of public sources suggest that Samsung will soon unveil a Bluetooth hearing aid.
Bearing model number SM-R790, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) website describes the device as a “Samsung Bluetooth Hearing Aid.” It’s as self-explanatory as can be. It could launch as the Samsung Earcle, a name for which Samsung recently filed a trademark in South Korea.
A patent filing sheds more light on how the Samsung Earcle might work. While there is no way to be sure that the patent describes Samsung’s first Bluetooth hearing aid and not a future device, it does give us a sense of what the South Korean company could be planning.
The patent describes a hearing aid that pairs with a smartphone. A feature called Sound Radar could help identify all the sound sources nearby and allow one to be amplified over the others or muted to cut out background noise. Sound sources would be mapped on the smartphone in reference to the user who would then be able to select and manage them individually.
There is no word yet on availability and pricing of the Samsung Bluetooth hearing aid (the Samsung Earcle?). With a number of high-profile events set for early 2016, an announcement may not be far away.
Sources : SamMobile // Bluetooth SIG