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Samsung defies critics, ships 800,000 Galaxy Gear smartwatches in two months

Samsung defies critics, ships 800,000 Galaxy Gear smartwatches in two months

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Despite strongly negative reviews from almost everyone that cared to touch one, Samsung has shipped 800,000 Galaxy Gear smartwatches in two months. That's according to a Reuters article quoting Samsung officials, and the lofty figure reportedly makes the Gear the most popular smartwatch in the world. Reuters reports the firm is saying its sales have exceeded its own expectations. The figure is far larger than some analysts' expectations, and was likely boosted by regional promotions offering large discounts and subsidies for users buying the Gear alongside a Samsung smartphone.

Another big impact on sales was likely marketing. There's no firm figure on how much money Samsung has spent promoting the Gear, but it's clear given the pure density of advertisements that it's a considerable figure. High-profile campaigns involving collaborations with fashion houses, celebrities, and a shanty town rendition of "Royals" don't come cheap.

The company recently updated its watch to improve notification support — a major issue for many reviewers — and says it plans to expand sales promotions for the holiday season in order to boost sales further. Samsung is also looking to expand the number of (Samsung) devices that can interface with the Gear; at launch, the smartwatch was limited to just one smartphone, the Galaxy Note III, but is now also compatible with the company's bestselling Galaxy S 4.

Update: Although Reuters reports the figure represents sales, Korean publication Yonhap claims Samsung is referring to shipments to retailers. Samsung Korea has confirmed in an email to The Verge that the figure relates to shipments as originally reported by Yonhap.