Samsung Claims It Has Sold 800,000 Galaxy Gear Smartwatches

Samsung claims its Galaxy Gear has sold 800,000 units since it launched two months ago, making it the world’s most popular smartwatch.

The company says sales figures are ahead of its expectations and it anticipates increased demand ahead of the Christmas shopping season, despite early reviews panning the device, which has just 90 dedicated applications and acts as an accessory for the Galaxy range of smartphones.

The good sales have encouraged Samsung, which sees the launch of the Galaxy Gear as an opportunity to seize control of the fledgling smartwatch market, establishing a presence ahead of Apple, whose devices Samsung had frequently been accused of copying,

Samsung Galaxy Gear

The Korean manufacturer has collaborated with fashion shows and has dedicated significant resources towards a marketing offensive promoting the smartwatch. Future iterations could even feature a flexible OLED display, similar to the curved screen included in the Samsung Galaxy Round.

For many manufacturers, the smartwatch represents a new market that can compensate for slowing smartphone sales.

Apple is understood to be working on its own smartwatch, usually referred to as the iWatch, and has recruited Burberry CEO Andrea Ahrendts to head up its retail stores, with her experience of the fashion industry a key reason for her hiring. However it is unclear when the iWatch will debut, with the most recent reports suggesting a late 2014 launch.

The Kickstarter-funded Pebble has also been launched, with the project receiving more than 275,000 pre-orders ahead of its release.

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