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The 800,000 Galaxy Gear smart watches that Samsung has shipped aren’t necessarily on the wrists of consumers just yet. The figure represents the number of watches sold to retail and partner stores — not to end users.
(Credit: Brian Bennett/CNET)
The Korean Yonhap News Agency reported the clarification, with The Verge confirming with Samsung’s head office in South Korea. The Galaxy Gear was previously reported by BusinessKorea to have sold only around 50,000 units worldwide — a number that would make the company’s debut smart watch a resounding failure in its first two months of availability.
It’s likely that the correct figure of Galaxy Gears sold lies somewhere between 50,000 and 800,000. It’s also probable that the number is on the higher end of the scale rather than lower; otherwise, retailers would be facing a huge glut of stock taking up room in warehouses. Reporting shipment numbers is par for the course for mobile device manufacturers, which don’t usually sell devices directly to consumers.
When it launched, the Galaxy Gear was initially only compatible with the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, although the Galaxy S4 is now also supported. Samsung plans to increase the number of mobile devices that can sync with the Gear in coming months.
According to Samsung, the 800,000 shipments make the Galaxy Gear the most popular smart watch in the world, beating out Sony’s smart watches and the Pebble. Bundles from retailers around the world, selling the Gear alongside the Galaxy Note 3, have likely boosted sales numbers, and Samsung will increase its promotions leading up to Christmas.
