New Versions to Hit Market in 2nd Half
Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are going to compete in the smart watch market in the second half of the year.
LG Electronics will launch two next-generation smart watches in Korea early next month.
LG’s Timepiece comes in premium and low-end types. The premium model includes a 1.2-inch (360 × 360) round display, 768MB RAM, 4GB internal memory, Snapdragon ware 2100 chipset, and 240mAh battery. The low-end model provides lower specifications than the premium product.
The Timepiece is to be released as a Bluetooth version. The product price is likely to range from 300,000 won to 400,000 won.
Samsung Electronics is planning to release the Gear S4 in August.
The Gear S4 is a new smart watch that Samsung Electronics is introducing in two years. It comes in two versions, Bluetooth and LTE. It is equipped with 470mAh, which is bigger than the previous Gear (380mAh)). The Operating system (OS) is likely to be Tizen. The factory price is undecided.
The Gear S4 is the first of Samsung's smart watches that comes in gold. Samsung Electronics has added rose gold to the Gear S2 Classic in January 2016, but original gold color has never been used. It may be a strategy aimed at Chinese consumers who prefer gold.
It is to be seen whether there will be changes in the market share of Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics with the launch of new products.
According to market researcher IDC, Apple shipped 4 million Apple watches in the first quarter, ranking first in the global wearable appliances market with a market share of 16.1%. Xiaomi, which shipped 3.7 million units, ranked second with a 14.8% share. Fitbit and Huawei followed it with 8.7% and 5.2%, respectively, and Garmin, which ranked fifth, had a share of 5%.
Experts say, “If producers focus only on smart watch’s health features, it will be difficult to guarantee success. Differentiating points such as audio, language translation, and personal safety functions are necessary."