South Korea's top mobile carrier SK Telecom Co. said Monday it will roll out a new edition of Samsung Electronics Co.'s Gear S2 smartwatch this week that allows users to make calls without being linked to a smartphone.
  

While previous Samsung Gear S2 models have to link to smartphones with Bluetooth technology, SK Telecom said the new device, sold exclusively to its subscribers, can connect to the network independently.
  

The top mobile carrier said wearable devices were especially popular among South Koreans in their 30s and 40s, with 80 percent of its wearable plan subscribers being males.
  

First released in October, the Samsung Gear S2 is the latest wearable device by Samsung Electronics, which is striving to bolster its global presence in the smartwatch segment, where it lags far behind archrival Apple Inc.
  

The Gear S2 has a circular face that distinguishes itself from its predecessor, the Samsung Gear S, which was rectangular. (Yonhap)