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Screenshot by Shara Tibken/CNET
Samsung is ready to talk about health — but not in the way many expect.
The Korean electronics giant will host an event at 10:30 a.m. PT Wednesday in San Francisco to begin “a new conversation around the future of health.”
Join CNET’s liveblog of the Samsung health event at 1:30 p.m. ET/10:30 a.m. PT on Wednesday.
When Samsung sent out mysterious invites for the health event, many people assumed the company would introduce its newest wearables or other health gadgets. But the only thing we know for sure about the company’s event Wednesday is that won’t be the case.
Don’t expect a new Gear smartwatch or Gear Fit fitness band. Also don’t expect a new smartphone, tablet, or pretty much any other gadget, Samsung tells CNET.
So what do we expect?
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One big clue: the group that is hosting the event. It’s not Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung’s US mobile arm) or Samsung Electronics America. Rather, it’s the Samsung Strategy and Innovation Center, based in Menlo Park, Calif.
The group — which is a part of Samsung’s components business, not the devices businesses — was formed in Silicon Valley to create new technology, develop partnerships, and make investments into hardware. Young Sohn, the executive running the group, also serves as president and chief strategy officer of the Korean parent company, Samsung Electronics.
When forming SSIC, Samsung also introduced a $100 million investment fund, the Samsung Catalyst Fund, to boost its US footprint and spur innovation in areas related to cloud computing and mobile privacy. Healthcare has been one of SSIC’s first big focuses. In February, it announced a partnership with the University of California in San Francisco to create new sensors, algorithms, and digital health technologies for preventative health.
Samsung isn’t sharing any details about what it will announce at its event, but it’s a safe bet that whatever the company shows won’t be as clear cut as a smartphone. Tune in to CNET for full coverage.
