Samsung reigns supreme in the Indian smartwatch market: Unveils two new smart wearables

As wearables begin to gain a foothold in the country, Samsung India has now captured 50 percent of the premium smartwatch market (in value terms) in the first half of 2017 which was driven by its flagship smartwatch Gear S3, a top company executive said on Wednesday.

"Samsung Gear S3 smartwatch has given us phenomenal growth this year. In the first half of 2017, in the premium smartwatch segment, (which is greater than Rs 25,000), we now enjoy a 50 percent market share and are growing at the 50 percent rate over last year in terms of value," Aditya Babbar, General Manager, Samsung India, has told IANS.

The company also witnessed a 70 percent growth during the festive season this year (in value terms) for Gear S3 business compared to the period last year.

"In the festive season, we saw a 70 percent growth with Gear S3 which makes us believe that our new line-up will also be successful," Babbar added.

Bullish on the growth, Samsung India on Wednesday expanded its line-up of wearables and also launched two new smartwatches Gear Fit2 Pro, a GPS sports band with smart features at Rs 13,590 and Gear Sport smartwatch at Rs 22,990.

"There are fitness bands that have features like step counting, heart rate monitor, and others. We wanted to give users a completely new experience. Gear Fit2 Pro gives a swimming solution (with 5 ATM water resistance and 'MIL-STD' 810G) and real-time heart rate monitor which are top of the line features," Baddar said.

The devices with 5 ATM water rating can withstand pressures equivalent to a depth of 50 meters. "MIL-STD-810G" is series of tests designed by the US military to test its equipment limits in various conditions.

Gear Sport

Gear Sport comes with a 1.2-inch AMOLED display and rotating bezel user interface (UI). The smartwatch is powered by a 300mAh battery and supports wireless charging while Gear Fit2 Pro features a 200mAh battery. The device will let the user receive nutrition management alerts and activity recommendations even if they are offline and has been designed with military-level durability.

Gear Fit2 Pro

Gear Fit2 Pro features built-in GPS tracking and sports 1.5-inch Super AMOLED curved display and a high-resolution color touchscreen. Both Gear Sports and Gear Fit2 Pro support water resistance and swim tracking technology.
Both the devices will go on sale in December, the company said.

"We have introduced new smart capabilities, easy-to-use features and partnered with leading names in tech and fitness to help consumers go beyond fitness and live an active, balanced and fulfilling life," Babbar added.