In short: Dozens of Verizon customers took to social media and the company’s official forums to voice their frustration about the lack of information on the availability of the Samsung Galaxy Watch. The wearable that Samsung officially released last month is set to become available from AT&T and Verizon later this year but no firm availability details have yet been shared by either carrier. T-Mobile remains the only network operator in the United States that’s currently selling Samsung’s latest wearable and is even offering a 50-percent discount on a second unit for customers who buy two.
Background: Verizon’s customers have been voicing their displeasure about the lack of concrete availability info on the Galaxy Watch for several months now and a number of them even contacted the company’s customers support service to inquire about the matter, only to be told that the firm is presently working on a special promotional offer but specific details will follow in the near future. Samsung’s Gear S3 series was also late to arrive in Verizon’s stores, with customers being forced to wait approximately eight months for the devices which officially launched in 2016 but only started being retailed by the telecom giant in mid-2017. Sprint isn’t expected to carry the Galaxy Watch at any point in the future.
Impact: The fact that Verizon is once again late with releasing a Samsung-made wearable line is likely a direct result of the carrier’s retail strategy and not a decision that the South Korean electronics maker can influence. Despite the aforementioned complaints, it appears that a relatively small percentage of Verizon’s customer base is presently interested in Samsung’s wearable portfolio, despite its glowing reviews and positive user feedback. Verizon subscribers interested in buying the Galaxy Watch as quickly as possible presently have two straightforward options – Amazon or Samsung itself.