Samsung sold 180,000 Gear S2 in China in under 8 hours

Samsung might have dominated the smartphone market but the company’s wearable efforts have, so far, failed to reach the same heights. The original Galaxy Gear ran Android but since then, the company has switched to its own Tizen OS – which was only compatible with Samsung smartphones – with mixed results.

[related_videos title=”Smartwatches in video:” align=”left” type=”custom” videos=”650695,646865,639842,648705,648417,644990″]However, earlier this year, the Korean OEM launched the Gear S2 at IFA 2015 and alongside its very impressive and unique circular bezel and interface, the new wearable also bought compatibility with any Android smartphone running Ice Cream Sandwich or later. The additional support was seemingly designed to make the Gear S2 more appealing to all users and based on a report out of China, it seems that Samsung’s attempts may yet prove to be fruitful.

According to the report, major retailer JD.com managed to shift 180,000 units of the new Gear S2 and Gear S2 Classic smartwatches in just 8 hours after putting them up for sale. Furthermore, retail stores are complaining about supply shortages as Samsung seemingly struggles to keep up with the demand in China while also rolling out the smart watch to additional countries around the world.

For Samsung, the news is definitely positive as it means the Gear S2 – which is arguably one of the most unique wearables ever made – has a chance to capture a stronghold in the market. Although 180,000 sales in 8 hours is definitely impressive, it does somewhat pale in comparison to the Apple Watch, which achieved approximately 1 million sales in its opening weekend.

In China, the Gear S2 is being sold for 2,198 Yuan (approx $350) while the Gear S2 Classic retails for 2,398 Yuan (approx $390). Both are competitively priced and if Samsung is able to make enough units to meet overall global demand, the Gear S2 range could prove to be the closest challenger to the Apple Watch, which currently dominates the wearables market.