Gear Solo with SIM slot could be Samsung's first standalone smartwatch

One of the drawbacks of Samsung Gear 2 smartwatch is that you need a smartphone to operate it. But if reports are to be believed then it seems like Samsung wants to eliminate the smartphone out of the equation.   A listing spotted by Maktechblog on Indian import site  Zauba shows a device called Gear Solo with a code name SM-R710. The smartwatch comes with a network receiver and an embedded SIM.   Thanks to the embedded SIM, users will be able to make a call without any need to connect to a smartphone. This is a feature which distinguishes it from Gear 2 which was launched by Samsung in India recently . As of now, it is not clear which operating system will come pre-loaded with Gear Solo, though it is very likely that the OS is Tizen like the newer Gear devices.   Although the gadget’s price has been listed as Rs 12, 499 expect to see a higher retail price, if the device ever makes it to market. A pain point of Gear 2 is that it can work only with Samsung devices which is a barrier for buyers. Unlike it, Gear Solo’s embedded SIM could allow it to make calls without any need to connect to a smartphone which gives it a huge advantage.   Samsung is gradually building its own portfolio of wearable devices. The extent to which it is serious about these devices can be gauged from the fact that Samsung will host a health-related event later this month just before Apple’s WWDC.