Samsung Gear 360 (2018) design revealed in recent patent application?

According to recent speculation, Samsung may be on course to upgrade the 360-camera once more in 2018, and the next device design might have a little bit more, shall we say, personality.

Dutch website LetsGoDigital has spotted a Samsung design patent application which hints at what the new device could look like. Spotted at the Korea Intellectual Property Rights Information Service, the materials indicate that the Gear 360 (2018) may be built to house a cartoon character-like form, with head, face, body, and two small feet (the satisfied expression also looks like it will be part of the physical device and not just for illustration purposes).

What’s more, the camera head appears to be angled slightly, giving the character this subtle air of curiosity, though this may also serve to make the unit more comfortable to hold compared to its predecessor (seen below).

No details of functionality were included with the patent application — it’s specifically for design — and the resources don’t make any direct mention of a Gear 360 camera. We don’t actually know if Samsung is working on a new 360-degree camera at all, this is just a possibility for now.

That being said, I do like the idea: I feel strangely more endeared towards this humanoid gadget than its previous iterations. Perhaps I’m in the minority, here — many folks might see this as potentially cheapening a, likely expensive, consumer tech product. But I can’t help it… it looks cute.

What are your thoughts on this as the potential Gear 360 (2018) design? Let us know in the comments.