As reported on Engadget.
BY MATT BRIAN
In an attempt to end speculation surrounding the popularity of its Galaxy Gear, Samsung has shared its smartwatch sales figures for the first time, and they might surprise you. Reuters reports that the company’s Android-powered wearable has sold 800,000 units since its launch in September, surpassing its own expectations and setting straight recent reports that pegged worldwide South Korean sales at 50,000 units.
To stimulate sales, Samsung has offered plenty of incentives to buy the Galaxy Gear by bundling it with the Galaxy Note 3, with some UK carriers offering the smartwatch for free if they purchased the 5.7-inch smartphone on a two-year contract. Samsung believes the Gear is now the “most sold wearable watch available in the marketplace,” which, if true, would put it ahead of efforts from Pebble and Sony. As the holidays approach, the company says it will offer more Galaxy Gear promotions as it builds out future support for more of its smartphones, adding to its recent software update that brought all of your notifications to the device.
Update: The Verge reports that while Reuters is noting consumer sales, Korean publication Yonhap believes Samsung may actually be reporting shipments to retailers. The same report also clarifies that Samsung’s 50,000 “worldwide” Gear sales were in South Korea only.