In an effort to rebut negative reports surrounding its new Galaxy Gear smartwatch, Samsung revealed today that sales of the watch have topped 800,000 units in the two months since its launch in early September. These sales numbers apparently have even surpassed Samsung’s expectations for its wearable technology device.
Though as always, the devil is in the details, and additional reports are stating that the 800,000 number is for sales to retailers, not to consumers. That number is reportedly far lower, with only 50,000 sales to consumers being reported, and all of them in South Korea.
Given that the return rate for the Galaxy Gear has exceeded 30% and that the first reviews of the smartwatch have been mixed, it seems more likely that the 800,000 number is indeed a reflection of sales to retailers rather than purchases by consumers. Nevertheless, despite lukewarm consumer demand for Samsung’s Galaxy Gear, the push for wearable technology is as strong as ever, as experts are predicting the sector will be a defining trend for the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show. This is reflected with the new WristRevolution Tech Zone that will debut this January at the 2014 CES, which will feature smartwatches, digital health electronics, and more.
Commercials are still running for the Galaxy Gear, so Samsung is still making a concerted effort to promote the watch. Adoption of a new an innovative product is often slow, but as the old fable states, slow and steady wins the race. We’ll see what else Samsung has up (or perhaps better stated, on) their sleeve throughout the holiday season and at the 2014 CES.
