BERLIN (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics said on Thursday that it would make its next smartwatch technology available to its competitors who also use Google Inc's mobile platform Android, hoping to increase its share of the market, which is now dominated by Apple Inc.

The watch will be available as of October, it said at an event in Berlin tied to the IFA, Europe's largest consumer electronics trade show.

Making the new smartwatches compatible with smartphones made by competitors could help sales for Samsung, which saw its market share shrink sharply following the launch of arch rival Apple's Apple Watch.