Samsung may turn to Under Armour to rival Apple's relationship with Nike
In a bid to expand wearable sales, Samsung is reportedly entertaining the idea of teaming up with US sports apparel maker Under Armour. According to Yonhap News, Lee Jae Yong, the son of chairman Lee Kun Hee and heir apparent of Samsung Electronics, met with Under Armour CEO Kelvin Plank earlier this month, reportedly to discuss ways to counter the burgeoning collaboration between Apple and Nike.
While Samsung has already released second-generation Gear smartwatches and is rumored to be developing its own version of Google Glass, a tie-up with a sports clothing maker would give the Korean smartphone maker greater access to the health and fitness industry, which it's doubled down on in recent hardware and software launches. Under Armour, of course, already develops its own performance trackers and Nike has a long history of Nike+ fitness accessories. However, Nike did recently cull its FuelBand team and shift its focus to fitness software. Neither company has confirmed the talks, but if true, it appears Samsung wants to ensure it's not left behind by its biggest rival.
[Image credit: University of Delaware, Flickr]
