What Samsung needs to do to make Galaxy Gear a hit in 2014

Samsung's Galaxy Gear

(Credit:Andrew Hoyle/CNET) Samsung won the race to put a stake in the wearable market in 2013. Next year, it will have to win the hearts of consumers and make a product people actually want to buy.

In September, the Korean consumer electronics giant unveiled the Galaxy Gear, a smartwatch that connects to a user's smartphone or tablet to provide alerts, take photos, make calls, and access certain apps. For Samsung, the device is more than just another gadget; it also marks an important shift in the company's position in technology: long known as a "fast follower" that's able to pick up, emulate, and even improve upon existing industry trends, it is now cutting its own path with the unproven watch.

Related stories:How Samsung cranked out the Galaxy Gear: The inside storyBehind Samsung's push to rule the worldGalaxy Gear: Samsung's big move to one-up AppleCNET's take on the Galaxy GearWhy Samsung needs to woo developers So Samsung beat out Apple, which is rumored to be launching an iWatch sometime next year. But the early response has been tepid. Tech reviewers, including CNET, have criticized Gear for its high price tag, weak battery life, wonky voice command feature, and limited compatibility with other devices. (It only works with certain Samsung phones and tablets.) Samsung said it shipped 800,000 Gears to retail partners in the first two months the device was on the market, but no one is saying how many have actually been purchased by consumers.

The company, however, believes the segment can become a huge business, and it's already working on future devices.

"I am very confident," Young-hee Lee, Samsung's head of mobile marketing, told CNET shortly after the Galaxy Gear launched. "It's a matter of time before all people are wearing smart devices and living very intuitively and conveniently. Five years ago, our smart device wasn't in the middle of our life. Now, look at

View the Original article