What Samsung needs to do to make Galaxy Gear a hit in 2014

In September, the Korean consumer electronics giant unveiled the Galaxy Gear, a smartwatch that connects to a user's smartphone or tablet to provide alerts, take photos, make calls, and access certain apps. For Samsung, the device is more than just another gadget; it also marks an important shift in the company's position in technology: long known as a "fast follower" that's able to pick up, emulate, and even improve upon existing industry trends, it is now cutting its own path with the unproven watch.

So Samsung beat out Apple, which is rumored to be launching an iWatch sometime next year. But the early response has been tepid. Tech reviewers, including CNET, have criticized Gear for its high price tag, weak battery life, wonky voice command feature, and limited compatibility with other devices. (It only works with certain Samsung phones andtablets.) Samsung said it shipped 800,000 Gears to retail partners in the first two months the device was on the market, but no one is saying how many have actually been purchased by consumers.

The company, however, believes the segment can become a huge business, and it's already working on future devices.

"I am very confident," Young-hee Lee, Samsung's head of mobile marketing, told CNET shortly after the Galaxy Gear launched. "It's a matter of time before all people are wearing smart devices and living very intuitively and conveniently. Five years ago, our smart device wasn't in the middle of our life. Now, look at [us]."

Here's what Samsung can do to make sure those new products are more popular with buyers:

Figure out the "wow factor": Gear is a sleek, eye-catching device that allows users to do some interesting things, such as take photos with the touch of a button on the Gear band. However, what the device really lacks is a "wow factor" or something that makes it a must-have gadget. It's unclear what that could be for Gear, whether it's a hardware feature, service, or other item. But that's something that Samsung needs to figure out if it wants people to start lining up for its devices.

Make Gear work with more phones: Samsung has been trying to build an ecosystem much like those of Apple and Google. That means offering devices, software, and services that make customers loyal to, and even lock them into, Samsung's products. The problem for Samsung, however, is that it doesn't control its software or services. Google does. Using Gear as a way to keep customers in its world is shaky at best, at least until Samsung controls all pieces of that world.

For the time being, Samsung should make Gear work with as many devices as possible. That includes the iPhone and other Android devices. Maybe even BlackBerrys and Windows Phones(although it can't be blamed for ignoring those last two). The wider compatibility could help Samsung win over more users at a time when wearable tech remains a niche category. The field is wide open with the iWatch still just a rumor, and only a handful of other viable smartwatch competitors.

Samsung doesn't have to go completely open (and it won't); it could keep certain features exclusive to its own smartphones and tablets, which would give users a reason to also buy aGalaxy S4 or Note 3. But making Gear work with more devices, right away, can only help.

More apps, please: Samsung can do all it wants to improve the hardware, but without developer support, the Gear is essentially a bulky, overpriced timepiece. The company needs to build up the community of developers willing to work with its smartwatch, enabling the creation of more apps and services.

Sure, there are notifications, but consumers will want more advanced bells and whistles to justify the expense of the device. How about a heart rate monitor? Or apps that track where you run, and for how long?

The possibilities for wearable services are almost limitless, but Samsung's still figuring out this part of its devices.

As CNET noted recently, the reason Gear doesn't have more apps right now is because the app store is still invite-only for developers. Samsung wants all Gear apps to provide a good experience for users, so it's closely controlling the development process.

However, opening Gear up to more developers could result in apps Samsung had never considered. One of those products could turn out to be that wow factor Samsung really needs. If Samsung really wants to create its own ecosystem, it will have to build its developer relationships. Gear is a good place to start.

Drop the price: At $300, Galaxy Gear sure isn't an impulse buy. The steep price tag puts the device in line with smartphones, tablets, and even some PCs, and makes it tough for many consumers to afford. Other smartwatches on the market retail for much less, such as thePebble at $150 and the Sony SmartWatch 2 at $200. CNET calls the Pebble "the best smartwatch deal around." By cutting $100 to $200 off the Gear price, Samsung immediately