Apple Inc., the world's most valuable technology company, is seeking to trademark "iWatch" in Japan as rival Samsung Electronics Co. readies its own wearable smartphone device.

The maker of iPhones is seeking protection for the name, which is categorized as being for products including a handheld computer or watch device, according to a June 3 filing with the Japan Patent Office that was made public last week.

A Tokyo-based spokesman for Apple didn't respond to a message seeking comment on the application.

Apple has a team of about 100 product designers working on a wristwatchlike device that may perform some of the tasks now handled by the iPhone and iPad, sources said in February. Samsung, the world's biggest maker of smartphones, is developing a wristwatch, the company said in March.

Sony Corp. has sold its SmartWatch for more than a year, which wirelessly connects to smartphones using Google Inc.'s Android operating system so people can take calls and reply to email or text messages.