During Mobile World Congress 2014, Samsung announced additions to their wearable line-up. These additions included the Gear 2, Gear neo, and Gear Fit, with the Gear Fit catching most of the attention amongst viewers of the launch event. The biggest problem for some people seemed to be the compatibility of these devices-and rightfully so. However that could be a problem that no longer plagues Samsung wearables in the future. Samsung has no problem selling their line of Galaxy smartphones. So it is a bit odd that they would release wearable devices that are only compatible with Galaxy smartphones. It is not as if they need the attention brought to their devices, and they don’t even really need to tap into the wearable market to sell them. This leaves a very big question as to why Samsung would make wearable devices only compatible with Galaxy smartphones. Infact, in a very small way, this move hinders a bit on the sales numbers for the wearables rather than help the sales of the Galaxy lineup. Just ask our very own assistant editor Alex Maxham.
Like Maxham, many people loved the Gear Fit and were excited to try it out. The only problem was that the Gear Fit is only compatible with Galaxy devices. Some of those people weren’t willing to buy a Galaxy smart phone, just so they could try out the Gear Fit. Luckily, in a report made by Reuters, Samsung executives have a plan for those users. The executives spoke on a few different topics- ranging from new devices, to sales of the Galaxy S5- but they also touched base on their wearable line and the future of compatibility. It would seem that Samsung has plans to open that compatibility to any Android device. The only requirements seem to be hardware and software compatibility. So at some point in the future, you will no longer need to have a Samsung smart phone to use their wearables.
The details were unclear, as it seemed to be a plan and not a soon to release feature. This means we are unsure if the already launched Samsung wearables will be updated to meet the new compatibility options. Still, it is nice to know that Samsung has a plan at the very least to open up compatability. The problem is, will they do this before other wearable options beat them to the punch? We already know that Android Wear is coming this summer on the Moto 360 and the LG smartwatch. These devices will be compatible with Android devices of a certain OS version. Which could be the reason Samsung has changed their plan. We will just have to wait and see. Samsung should already have realized that competition in the wearable market is going to get tough with the release of the Moto 360 being popular already. What do you think, will Samsung be able to survive in the wearable market with competition offering open compatibility, or will Samsung need to change that before Andorid Wear devices become available? Let us know down there in the comments section or on our G+ page.