It might be years since you've worn a watch for utilitarian reasons (i.e. to know the time), but major brands are working hard to re-shape that notion and make you think you need one on your wrist. Nowadays, you can't go a week without hearing news that a well-known company is developing a smartwatch, promising of bringing synced apps and phone calls directly to your wrist.

Samsung's Galaxy Gear smartwatch, which was first announced earlier this year and heralded as rushed and clunky, has gotten the most recent attention, but the category got big jolt even before then from Kickstarter sensation Pebble. Both have been on the market for a while, but since sales data is scarce, we don't know if consumers are biting.

Samsung may have been the first major brand to introduce a smartwatch, but it joins a long lineup of companies eyeing the market, including Nokia, Qualcomm, Sony, Nissan, Adidas and probably even Google and Apple. Not to mention fitness wristband trackers such as the Nike+ Fuelband, Jawbone UP and the Fitbit Force, which are gaining in popularity, too. Some of these devices even tell time.

It might be years since you've worn a watch for utilitarian reasons (i.e. to know the time), but major brands are working hard to re-shape that notion and make you think you need one on your wrist. Nowadays, you can't go a week without hearing news that a well-known company is developing a smartwatch, promising of bringing synced apps and phone calls directly to your wrist.

Samsung's Galaxy Gear smartwatch, which was first announced earlier this year and heralded as rushed and clunky, has gotten the most recent attention, but the category got big jolt even before then from Kickstarter sensation Pebble. Both have been on the market for a while, but since sales data is scarce, we don't know if consumers are biting.

Samsung may have been the first major brand to introduce a smartwatch, but it joins a long lineup of companies eyeing the market, including Nokia, Qualcomm, Sony, Nissan, Adidas and probably even Google and Apple. Not to mention fitness wristband trackers such as the Nike+ Fuelband, Jawbone UP and the Fitbit Force, which are gaining in popularity, too. Some of these devices even tell time.

It might be years since you've worn a watch for utilitarian reasons (i.e. to know the time), but major brands are working hard to re-shape that notion and make you think you need one on your wrist. Nowadays, you can't go a week without hearing news that a well-known company is developing a smartwatch, promising of bringing synced apps and phone calls directly to your wrist.

Samsung's Galaxy Gear smartwatch, which was first announced earlier this year and heralded as rushed and clunky, has gotten the most recent attention, but the category got big jolt even before then from Kickstarter sensation Pebble. Both have been on the market for a while, but since sales data is scarce, we don't know if consumers are biting.

Samsung may have been the first major brand to introduce a smartwatch, but it joins a long lineup of companies eyeing the market, including Nokia, Qualcomm, Sony, Nissan, Adidas and probably even Google and Apple. Not to mention fitness wristband trackers such as the Nike+ Fuelband, Jawbone UP and the Fitbit Force, which are gaining in popularity, too. Some of these devices even tell time.

It might be years since you've worn a watch for utilitarian reasons (i.e. to know the time), but major brands are working hard to re-shape that notion and make you think you need one on your wrist. Nowadays, you can't go a week without hearing news that a well-known company is developing a smartwatch, promising of bringing synced apps and phone calls directly to your wrist.

Samsung's Galaxy Gear smartwatch, which was first announced earlier this year and heralded as rushed and clunky, has gotten the most recent attention, but the category got big jolt even before then from Kickstarter sensation Pebble. Both have been on the market for a while, but since sales data is scarce, we don't know if consumers are biting.

Samsung may have been the first major brand to introduce a smartwatch, but it joins a long lineup of companies eyeing the market, including Nokia, Qualcomm, Sony, Nissan, Adidas and probably even Google and Apple. Not to mention fitness wristband trackers such as the Nike+ Fuelband, Jawbone UP and the Fitbit Force, which are gaining in popularity, too. Some of these devices even tell time.