#209 Gear Watch is 1st in smart watches

Samsung intends the Galaxy Gear to be the first of a family of smartwatches, with the company aiming to release a range of models much as it has broadened its Galaxy smartphone line to cover multiple price points and sizes. The reception to the Galaxy Gear, announced at Samsung’s pre-IFA Unpacked showcase earlier this week, has been mixed, with many questioning the premium pricing of the smartwatch – around $299.99 at launch – along with the actual value the wearable delivers. According to Samsung, however, there’s not only a market for the Galaxy Gear among owners of big-screen phones like the Galaxy Note 3, but for a number of companion devices.

In fact, Samsung told us that it intends the “Galaxy Gear” name to in fact be a new “sub brand” for the firm, much as how the original Galaxy smartphone spawned multiple variants. The company wouldn’t be drawn on how many Note 3 buyers it expects to also buy a first-generation Galaxy Gear, but did say that it had been surprised by the variation among buyers of the previous Note devices.