Samsung says it sold 800,000 Galaxy Gear smartwatches in two months

Samsung Electronics said it has sold 800,000 Galaxy Gear smartwatches in two months, making the device the best-selling smartwatch in the world despite lackluster reviews.

The South Korean company said Tuesday that Gear sales were better than its own expectations and that it would expand sales promotions for the device during the holidays, according to a Reuters report.

“It’s the most sold wearable watch available in the marketplace ... and we plan to expand its availability by expanding mobile devices that work with the Gear,” Samsung said in a statement to the news agency.

The $299 Gear went on sale this year and is compatible only with a few Samsung devices. The company was hoping the device would be a breakthrough in wearable computing, but it has been widely panned by reviewers for its lack of features.

Our tech blogger Salvador Rodriguez had this to say in his review of the watch: “The Galaxy Gear is a nifty device and an awesome preview of what’s to come with wearable technology. But as is often the case with first-generation gadgets, there’s a lot of limitations with what the Galaxy Gear can do.”

VIDEO: Galaxy Gear is fun, cool but not worth buying just yet

The smartwatch can perform many of the functions of a smartphone, including making calls, sending texts, taking photos and running apps. It also comes with a pedometer and voice recorder.

But you can’t see tweets, get Facebook notifications or use many other popular services available on smartphones.

Samsung has been heavily marketing the Gear, running dozens of full-page ads in numerous newspapers and multiple TV commercials, including one with soccer star Lionel Messi.

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