I applaud Samsung for creating a product other than a new variant of their existing Galaxy smartphone, but rushing the Galaxy Smartwatch to the market does not mean Samsung will be the industry leader in wearable technology. In class, we discussed many examples of products that were first to market, which gave them a future competitive edge. This held true for products like the iPad, and Redbull, but I do not believe Samsung’s Smartwatch is destined for the same future.

Early reviews of the Galaxy Watch have been skeptical on functionality. While the Galaxy Watch is able to conveniently notify users of telephone calls and text messages, the watch does not support emails or social media notifications. The watch is only compatible with Samsung’s recently released Galaxy Note 3, and not their flagship device, the Galaxy S 4.

There is speculation that Samsung rushed the release of the watch because of the rumors surrounding Apple’s imminent break into the wearable technology market. Many creditable sources have stated that Samsung was worried about Apple’s possible offering and as a result, compromised quality for time sake.

Based on the unfavorable reviews of the Galaxy Watch, Samsung needed to have put more effort into their break into the wearable technology market. If the Galaxy Watch is an indication of future smartwatches there will be no market for this product and a competitive edge will be meaningless.

External Link: http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887324432404579053923477137670