Casio 'prepared' to battle Apple and Samsung in war of the wrist

Casio 'prepared' to battle Apple and Samsung in war for the wrist
Casio ready for smartwatch invasion

Watchmaker Casio is ready to defend its territory as it awaits the onslaught of hi-tech smartwatches from the likes of Samsung, Apple and some of the hottest startups in tech.

The Japanese electronics firm's CEO Kazou Kashio said the company has been expecting the invasion of its turf and won't be caught napping when tech like the iWatch and Galaxy Gear goes on sale.

The company's range of G-Shock watches have long been considered the pinnacle of digital wristwear, but will certainly be under-threat from new offerings running advanced mobile software, apps and games.

Without elaborating, the CEO told the New York Times: "Suddenly, everyone's discovered the wrist. We've known for a long time it's prime real estate. We're prepared."

Big guns tooling up

Earlier this year the company launched its Casio G-Shock GB-6900AA watch, complete with Bluetooth connectivity, which allowed iPhone users to see call notifications and read emails on the device.

However, the Samsung Galaxy Gear is thought to be arriving next week, and the iWatch perhaps within the next year. Those devices could change the conversation somewhat.

Sony recently revamped its Smartwatch accessory, while the Pebble Smartwatch broke crowd-funding records on Kickstarter. Microsoft is also thought to be working on a wearable device, while yesterday it was confirmed that Google had snapped up smartwatch manufacturer WIMM late last year.

Casio will need to have something pretty special up its sleeve to live with that crowd. Otherwise its in for a bit of a G-Shock.

Via The Verge

Chris Smith

A technology journalist, writer and videographer of many magazines and websites including T3, Gadget Magazine and TechRadar.com. He specializes in applications for smartphones, tablets and handheld devices, with bylines also at The Guardian, WIRED, Trusted Reviews and Wareable. Chris is also the podcast host for The Liverpool Way. As well as tech and football, Chris is a pop-punk fan and enjoys the art of wrasslin'.