The latest round smartwatch made by Samsung Electronics Co. is gaining huge popularity in South Korea, with some stores running out of stock on the back of robust demand, industry sources said Wednesday.
Released in early September, the Samsung Gear S2 series is the tech giant's seventh smart wristwatch, comes in a circular shape and runs on its own Tizen operating system.
It is seen as part of Samsung's ambitious lineup made to vie for leadership in the smart device market over global archrival Apple Inc.'s Apple Watch, which also stirred a fever in the industry.
According to industry sources, Samsung has been selling an average of 2,000 Gear S2s daily, twice the corresponding sales figure for its predecessor the Gear S.
Of the three Gear S2 models, the Gear S2 Band, which supports a 3G network, accounts for half of daily sales. The other two types - the Gear S2 Classic and Gear S2 -- take up the rest, the sources said.
Notably, the retro-style Gear S2 Classic is becoming scarce as its initial inventory amount has been exhausted. Its elegant design that resembles an old-school wristwatch with a black leather strap has drawn keen attention since its debut.
"The Gear S2 is cheaper than Apple Watch and has earned good reviews in terms of design and weight. Rumors that it might also support iOS are attracting more consumers," an industry source said.
The Gear S2 has been reviewed by U.S. market tracker Strategy Analytics as the most attention-grabbing smartwatch launched in the second quarter that could threaten Apple Watch's market presence. (Yonhap)
