That may only be the shipment figure, to retailers, but it's still high even then

Nov 19, 2013 14:41 GMT  ·  By

Samsung's Galaxy Gear wasn't really more than an experiment to see how well the world accepted the idea of smartwatches, but it's a very well put together experiment indeed. And now, Samsung has the sales figures to prove it.

According to certain publications on the Internet, like Yonhap and Reuters, Samsung has sold 800,000 Galaxy Gear watches, and all those in just 2 months.

Well, it's a bit ambiguous whether that is the sales figure (Reuters thinks so) or if it's just the number of watches shipped to retailers.

Either way, it's a large number, and a testament to the strong advertising campaign that included collaboration with fashion houses and celebrities, even a shanty town rendition of "Royals."

That notification support was recently added in a software update couldn't have hurt either.

All in all, the Galaxy Gear, which can take photos/videos with a camera in the belt, and hold calls via the microphone in the belt clasp, is doing well for itself.

For those who want to know more about the ins and outs, you're in luck because we were there at IFA 2013, in Berlin, Germany, back in September, where the product was revealed.

It runs a minimalistic version of Android and supports Bluetooth LE (low energy). It can be used independently, but its real worth is shown when made a companion to Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Note 10.1 (2014 Edition).

To give a few examples, we took photos and videos with it in Berlin (max length is of 15 seconds, can be stored locally or transferred to the phone immediately). The watch can also record 5 minutes of voice.

NFC is included too, for instant pairing with Bluetooth LE devices. Only Android 4.3 supports that spec though, so no other device besides the two mentioned above are compatible for now. Updates will extend support though.