Why Samsung Is Betting Big On Wearables

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As gadget nerds and enterprise techies alike flock to Barcelona, Spain, this week for Mobile World Congress, we can expect a lot of newly debuted wearables. Samsung, which released the Gear S2 smartwatch less than two months ago at the Consumer Electronics Show, is one company that continues to invest in the wearable space.

In mid-December, research firm IDC forecast worldwide wearables shipments to pass 200 million by 2019. The numbers predict the majority of wearables growth to come from smartwatches, an area in which Samsung has continued to innovate.

Samsung’s Alanna Cotton said wearables represent a "new, more human way to communicate with technology. A smartwatch has to be a great watch first, but it is so much more."

Cotton, who is vice president of mobile computing marketing at Samsung, said people have grown to depend on smartwatches for guidance through their day.

"It makes staying ahead of life's moments a breeze," she said.

While that might be a slight exaggeration of the possibilities around wearables, Samsung has worked diligently to expand its application ecosystem, so that users of the newest smartwatches can access sought-after apps like Uber and CNN.

Later this year, Samsung Pay will be made available on the new Gear S2 smartphone as well.