Samsung's Galaxy Gear smartwatch is already obsolete as new version to be released - seems like a dumb idea at first but it's really a billion dollar smart idea

I'm at home reading up on technology and was reading up in Forbes on how Samsung is rumoured to be releasing its new edition of its smartwatch Galaxy Gear in early 2014. Most readers and critics called it a dumb idea as this was just going to kill the first edition before it even hit global markets. Some comments:

Total fail for Samsung. The first one is not even out in stores and it is already being buried. Message to Christmas buyers – wait for the next version.

Samsung, stick to TV’s. Innovation is not your strength. They should have waited until Apple release their watch so would have something to copy.

The first one clearly shows that Samsung can’t innovate. It’s a $300 piece of crap. They should waited until Apple releases its watch so they have something to copy. Samsung needs to stick to what is knows best, washers and dryers.

These comments comparing innovation at Samsung and Apple and whether 'first to market' meant anything made me think back of the many court cases that Samsung had lost against Apple for so-called iPhone & iPad copyright patent violations. Basically Apple put Samsung into court for everything it could think of : first from the design to double-tap zooming to touch screen and whatever else it could make up.

I think Samsung released their Galaxy Gear smartwatch so early despite all its limitations not so much for consumers but mainly to protect itself from Apple's endless court battles. In fact, it can now out-apple Apple by going to court with all kinds of stuff related to patent violation on smartwatches - shape, size, touch, curved corners - maybe even the screws!

And we assumed that new technology was meant for discerning customers...hmm.