Samsung could supply Exynos chips to the troubled firm ZTE

Samsung is in talks with several smartphone manufacturers to supply its Exynos mobile chipsets, reports Reuters. The list also includes the troubled Chinese manufacturer ZTE. In an interview, Samsung's Inyup Kang said the company is "talking to all OEMs" regarding the supply.

While there is no deal agreed with ZTE or other manufacturers, Kang said that he expects to announce a new client for its Exynos chips in the first half next year. ZTE has faced a lot of heat from the US government. US companies are banned from selling components to ZTE. Many smartphones from the company use Snapdragon chips from Qualcomm which is an American company. Recent estimates suggest that between half and 65 percent of ZTE devices use Snapdragon chips.

Since the ban, ZTE has halted major operation and there have been reports that the company is running low on stocks in China. While the US government has hinted that it might backtrack this ban, Samsung could still see this as an opportunity to sell its Exynos chips to the company.

Samsung became the world's biggest chipmaker last year, although most of the revenue comes from its memory and flash storage devices. According to a research by Counterpoint, Samsung is the fastest growing player in the mobile processing chips industry.

Besides, new filings with the United States Patent and Trademark Office shows that the company has applied for trademarks on the names Samsung Galaxy Watch and Samsung Galaxy Fit.

While it possible that the company is retiring Gear branding to adopt Galaxy name for its wearables, the application doesn't reveal much. This doesn't necessarily mean something, the company is just trademarking the names. Also, a trademark doesn't mean any action will be taken for sure. Companies routinely register new trademarks they never end using.

Samsung is also said to be working on the next iteration of its Gear S smartwatch, reported SamMobile. The device is said to come with the model number SM-R800. The previous iteration - the Gear S3 was launched with the model number SM-R600, which indicates that the SM-R800 will be the next major addition to the Tizen-powered series of smartwatches.

The company will also be launching four new smartphones for the Indian market in an attempt to retain its first spot in the Indian market.