The Samsung Galaxy Gear is one of the highest profile smartwatches to hit the street this year… and one of the most expensive. For $300, you get a device with limited battery life and limited functionality, but it will show you notifications on your wrist if you pair it with one of the few supported phones — and you can run full-fledged Android apps or even install a custom ROM if you really want to.
So are people buying the Galaxy Gear? Some people are… what’s a little less clear is exactly how many. Conflicting reports this week suggest Samsung has sold somewhere between 50,000 and 800,000 units.
That’s a pretty big discrepancy.
Speaking with Reuters, Samsung executives said that 800,000 units have been sold in the two months since the watch launched. Samsung says that exceeds even the company’s own expectations, despite the mostly negative reviews the watch received from the tech press.
But earlier this week Business Korea had reported sales of only 50,000 — and a decision by Samsung to halt production of the watch.
It’s possible that the larger figure represents shipments to retail partners rather than actual sales to consumers.
On the other hand, it’s not inconceivable that Samsung could have moved a lot of Galaxy Gear watches in the first few months. While the smartwatch is normally too expensive to qualify as an impulse purchase, Reuters reports some retailers have been offering the watch free to customers who bought a Samsung phone.
Sorry, but I won’t buy a Smartwatch. The 4.8 inch screen on my Galaxy S3 Smartphone is barely big enough. I won’t buy a smart device with a screen smaller than that.
Turns out Samsung shipped 800.000 when asked for clarification. No word on sales.