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Apple Watch 50 percent smartwatch market sales majority dominant android wear pebble samsung martian
Business, Watches

Apple Watch Estimated To Have Over 50% Of Smartwatch Market

January 13, 2016

Apple Watch 50 percent smartwatch market sales majority dominant android wear pebble samsung martian

While Apple still isn’t releasing any numbers, a new report from Juniper Research estimates that the company’s Apple Watch now controls over half of the smartwatch market. This echoes similar numbers from IDC from before the holidays. If true, this is big news for the California based company, which was notably late to enter the segment. The Apple Watch has only been shipping for slightly more than 8 months, while Samsung and Pebble have been selling smartwatches since 2013 and Android Wear started shipping almost 2 years ago. Juniper believes that Apple has secured 52% of the smartwatch market. Android Wear, on the other hand, comprised less than 10% of the year’s smartwatch shipments and Samsung’s Gear S2 barely made an impact. No word on Pebble’s take, but we would suspect that they also are around 10% of the market. One of the most interesting aspects of the report from Juniper is that simple smartwatches, such as the non-display models, are proving extremely popular. These devices offer activity tracking and, at most, notifications, but no apps or deeper connectivity. Specifically mentioned in the report is Martian, which produces connected watches similarly priced to a Fitbit. It is easy to see how a device like that could serve as “trial” watch, allowing the customer to see what they think of smartwatches without spending a large amount of money. Oddly, the report also mentions the popularity of a connected Guess watch and Breitling timepiece, both of which sell for more than the Apple Watch… the Breitling is actually closer to Apple Watch Edition territory.  

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by Doug Parker
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Samsung SDI Flexible Batteries Wearables Stripe Band Wearable Devices
Wearable Technology

Samsung Shows Off New Flexible Batteries For Wearables

October 26, 2015

Samsung SDI Flexible Batteries Wearables Stripe Band Wearable Devices

It is no secret that batteries are one of the greatest limiters of wearable technology. They are bulky, rigid, unstable, and need a better power to size ratio. Batteries are singularly responsible for the design and limitations of current wearables. Samsung SDI, though, is looking to change that. According to Business Wire, the South Korean company debuted two prototype batteries at InterBattery 2015, called Band and Stripe. Band is designed to fit within the band / strap (hence the name) of a smartwatch or fitness tracker. The flexible battery can add 50% to a watch’s standard battery and can withstand more than 50,000 bends. Stripe, though, is actually the more interesting of the two technologies. Using cutting-edge materials the team at Samsung SDI has been able to create a flexible battery which is 0.3mm thick. This allows Stripe to power almost any conceivable wearable device, from a necklace or hairband, to a t-shirt or belt. The company has also figured out a way to increase the energy density of Stripe, allowing it to provide more power than a battery of its size typically could.

Both the Band and Stripe batteries are prototypes and it could be years (if ever) before we see the technology incorporated into something we can actually purchase. That said, Samsung SDI’s new batteries are a step in the right direction; something needs to be resolved with energy storage in wearable devices. Whether that ultimately comes from technology such as this, or advancements in organic batteries, or even fuel cells, who knows. Or perhaps we need to rethink how wearables consume power. Either way something will change; battery technology needs to evolve in order for a number of emerging technologies to find mass appeal.

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by Doug Parker
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Samsung Pay Verizon Support Enable Update
Retail

Verizon Releases Update To Enable Samsung Pay

October 20, 2015

Samsung Pay Verizon Support Enable Update

When Samsung Pay launched in the US at the end of September, Verizon was the lone major carrier to not support the mobile payment system. At the time Verizon was very quiet, only stating that they were still evaluating the service. Typically this type of canned response can be inferred to mean “Don’t hold your breath.” It was therefore a surprise when a few weeks later, the carrier took to Twitter to announce that it had evaluated Samsung Pay and had decided to enable it on compatible devices. Unfortunately there was no timeframe given for the update. But just over a week after the announcement Verizon has begun rolling out a software update to enable Samsung Pay. If you are on Big Red and have a Galaxy Note 5 or a phone that is part of the Galaxy S6 family of devices, there is a mobile payment enabling update waiting for you! Samsung Pay users now just need more banks to support the service.

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by Doug Parker
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Retail

Verizon Will Soon Support Samsung Pay

October 7, 2015

Samsung Pay Verizon Support Launch

Verizon has announce that it will soon support Samsung Pay. The carrier made the understated announcement about supporting the service via Twitter, stating that it would enable it through a future software update to compatible devices. Verizon was the only major carrier in the US not supporting the Samsung Pay when it launched late last month. At the time, Verizon stated it was in the “process of evaluating” the service and would provide an update if there was any change…clearly there has now been a change! Verizon did not set any timeframe for the launch, only disclosing that it would be available through a “future update.” If you are a Verizon user with a Galaxy Note 5 or a device in the Galaxy S6 family, we are guessing the update will hit sooner rather than later.

We continue to question Samsung releasing their own mobile payment system, separate from Google’s Android Pay. It feels like an unnecessary level of complexity and bloat when there is a nearly identical solution already baked into the Android operating system. The primary differentiator between the two services is Samsung’s use of MTS technology (which allows the phone to transmit card info to magnetic swipe payment terminals). Unfortunately we don’t think that MTS alone will cause users to switch to Samsung and with chip-and-pin and chip-and-signature becoming standards globally, the magnetic swipe’s days are numbered.

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by Doug Parker
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Retail

Samsung Pay With MST Tech Officially Launches In The US

September 28, 2015

Samsung Pay MST Launch

It’s September 28th, which means, as promised, Samsung Pay is now live in the US. Unlike Apple and Google’s competing tokenized mobile payment systems, Samsung’s technology allows you to use cash registers equipped with either NFC or a magnetic strip reader. The key is that compatible Samsung devices can emit a weak magnetic field that card readers perceive as a card being swiped; the technology is called MST or Magnetic Secure Transmission. Simply place your phone near the reader while activating Samsung Pay and the transaction will be completed. As far as compile devices, there are not a lot; you are limited to the company’s newer models: the Galaxy S6, the S6 Edge, the S6 Edge+, or the Note 5. It should be noted that Samsung Pay also relies on support from both your credit card issuer and cellular provider. At this time Verizon has no plans to support Samsung Pay and only cards from certain the major banks are allowed (sorry Chase customers).

Early review of the payment system seem mostly positive. Some of the videos online do show a bit of fussing to get payments to process though, but that could be user error more than anything. Early users have pointed out that the MST technology works well but is not compatible with any payment terminals that require you to dip your card, versus swiping.

MST is an interesting technology. The clear advantage it provides Samsung is that their mobile payment system can be used at almost any existing payment terminal. But there are two major issues. First Samsung’s timing couldn’t be worse with the retailers becoming liable for magnetic swipe based fraud beginning October 1st. Even though Samsung Pay is tokenized, try explaining that to a store clerk that has only been told not to accept magnetic swipe payments. Second, more and more businesses are in the process of switching to terminals that can accept NFC (including Square offering small businesses free NFC readers). This means that while Samsung’s MST tech is compelling, it is a short term solution and one might prove to be difficult to use. Ultimately, it is unlikely to drive many potential customers to a Samsung device. Interestingly, wearable devices are seen as the tech that offers a meaningful level of convince for mobile payments. It is therefore intriguing that Samsung’s upcoming flagship wearable device, the Gear S2, will not support MST payments, instead only supporting NFC based ones.

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by Doug Parker
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2015 IFA Asus ZenWatch Samsung S2 Moto 360 Huawei Watch
Watches

Heavy Hitter Smartwatch Announcements Dominate IFA

September 2, 2015

2015 IFA Asus ZenWatch Samsung S2 Moto 360 Huawei Watch

With IFA (Europe’s version of CES) in full swing this week, there have been a slew of smartwatch announcements. We have known most of these were on the radar but in most cases pricing and availability have only now been made public. The 4 big announcements thus far relate to the Asus Zen Watch 2, the Huawei Watch, the Samsung Gear S2, and the Moto 360 2.

The Asus Zen Watch 2 is definitely the bargain of the bunch, with a price starting at $170 (oddly the larger model is the cheapest). This is a price drop from the original which is probably a good thing because we are not nearly as enamored with the successor’s design. When it launched, the Zen Watch was one of the best performing and looking Android Wear devices available. Asus has made minor tweaks to the aesthetics for this year, but they all seem to be for the worse. It almost feels like Asus got lazy. Functionality wise,  

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by Doug Parker
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Wearable Technology

Samsung Details Samsung Pay Launch And New Wearable

August 13, 2015

Samsung Pay Gear S2

Besides announcing some very large phones today, Samsung used their Unpacked 2015 event to offer up details on the upcoming Samsung Pay launch and show off a new smartwatch. The smartwatch is called the Gear S2. It is a metal, round faced watch that appears to run on the company’s custom Tizen OS platform. If the watch does run Tizen, it likely will not be compatible with non-Samsung devices. From the short glimpses shown today, it appears that Samsung is trying to improve the look of their wearables and corresponding software. Interestingly, we aren’t sure whether or not the Gear S2 is supposed to be a follow up to the original Gear S; it shares very little stylistically with its namesake and likely doesn’t have the S’s internal cellular connection. Samsung has promised to release more details about the wearable next month at IFA.

Samsung Pay also received some stage time today. With CurrentC exclusivity expiring, Apple Pay and other NFC based mobile payment systems are ready to make big leaps. Android Pay is expected to launch this Fall and we now know when Samsung Pay will come the US. The official US launch of Samsung Pay is September 28th, but select users will be able to beta test the service beginning August 25th. Slightly different from its competitors, Samsung does not require a NFC enabled pay terminal. Instead their technology also allows you to transmit a magnetic signal from your phone to swipe-based credit card readers. It will be interesting to see how practice the technology proves to be, especially since some pay terminals have a touch time reading cards that are actually physically swiped. Samsung hopes to bring its mobile payment service to the UK, Spain, and China next.

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by Doug Parker
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