Samsung to dial back blistering pace of smartwatch releases


After debuting no fewer than six new watches in the last year, Samsung is hitting the pause button on new releases, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
Not coincidentally, it’s doing so at the same time as a certain Cupertino company launches its own smartwatch. (Our sister site Macworld will live blog the Apple Watch unveiling Monday.)
In the interview with the Wall Street Journal, Samsung vice president Young-hee Lee said the company had new watches in the works, but was trying to reach the level of “perfection.”
The approach sounds similar to what Samsung is trying with its smartphones, scaling back its avalanche of new devices in favor of fewer with more polish.
She was also surprisingly candid about Samsung’s previous watch release schedule, which has been rather agressive. Just recently we’ve reviewed the Samsung Gear S andGear 2 among other Samsung wearables.
“We’ve been introducing more devices than anybody else. It’s time for us to pause,” she said.
With Android Wear’s slow adoption rate, it’s wise for Samsung to take the wait-and-see approach. And given that many are quick to upgrade a wearable as they don’t cost nearly as much as a smartphone, even those already sporting one may be potential customers.
Why this matters: Samsung has long been known for launching an excessive number of iterations of its products. So it’s refreshing to hear executives talking about getting things just right. In many ways it did this with the Galaxy S6, producing its most pristine and polished phone yet. A slickly designed Android Wear watch would certainly be a welcome addition.

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