Technology
Samsung Takes a Time-Out on Smartwatches as Apple Watch Launch Nears
In this Jan. 6, 2015 file photo, an employee demonstrates the Samsung Gear S smartwatch at the Samsung booth during the International CES in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)
(ZDNet) – Samsung was one of the biggest producers of smartwatches in the years leading up to the launch of the Apple Watch but now the company is taking a pause to rethink its strategy.
The Korean company hasn’t been shy of trying out new designs to appeal to various consumer tastes in the emerging smartwatch category, having released everything from simple fitness bands like the Gear Fit to the Tizen-powered 3G Gear S, with core specs not far off some low-end smartphones.
Indeed, Samsung has launched six smart watches in just 14 months, as analyst firm Canalys noted recently. This propelled it to the top spot among ‘smart band’ makers, who shipped 4.6 million units in total last year.
But unlike last year’s Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo, which were launched alongside the Galaxy S5, this year’s release of the Galaxy 6S at the MWC trade show came with no companion smartwatch.
