Samsung Galaxy Altius Leaked Images Released; Android Smartwatch vs. iOS Apple iWatch?

Leaked images of a rumored Samsung smartwatch known as the Galaxy Altius were posted on the Korean forum Ruliweb on Feb. 14. 

The leaked images that appear with the name Galaxy Altius suggest a square watch-like touch screen interface featuring the time and various messages. Other features of the watch-like device, likely powered by Android, include a music player and the ability to display emails. It also looks like there's a Maps app built into the device, according to T3.

There is also a scrollbar on the bottom so maybe Samsung has included more smartphone-like features in the watch.

The Altius device was also reported under the code name Project J,h which may end up being called the Galaxy Active. It appears to be a slightly different device than Samsung's smartphones with accessories such as an arm band, bike mount and pouch listed, according to SamMobile.

The Galaxy Active is rumored to be released alongside the Samsung Galaxy S4 and Galaxy S4 Mini in March. Samsung's rival Apple is also said to be working on an iWatch based on iOS, according to The New York Times, and experimenting with a curved-glass wearable device that would run iOS and offer messaging and social networking services. It may also include an array of sensors to monitor exercise patterns and heart rate, a fast pay system for retailers, access to maps, voice control and wireless integration with the iPhone.

Tech giants such as Samsung and Apple are not the only companies looking to get into the computerized watch market. The startup company Pebble Technology was able to raise $10.3 million last year on Kickstarter in order to develop their own smartwatch, according to The Huffington Post.