Marketing, Sci-Fi Nostalgia May Be Only Thing Going for Samsung Smartwatch

$299 device has a battery life of just one day, only works with Galaxy Note

Samsung, which beat Apple to the smartwatch market with the release of its Galaxy Gear last month, hasn't exactly won accolades, with reviewers saying they are disappointed that the $299 device has limited battery life (about a day) and only works with the Galaxy Note smartphone (Samsung says the Gear will work with other Galaxy phones in the future).

But Samsung may win over fans for its Galaxy Gear ads, which are generating buzz among tech users. Posted on YouTube this weekend, the ads — called "A Long Time Coming" and "Evolution" — tout the Gear by showing early incarnations of smartwatches in popular films and TV shows, from The Jetsons to Get Smart to Star Trek.  The problem, as many tech sites are starting to note, is that marketing only takes you so far. "In the end, all Samsung has to sell the Gear with is its impressive marketing budget and our sci-fi nostalgia," says Devindra Hardawar of VentureBeat."At the very least, the ads show us Samsung is getting better at marketing. I just wish it was for a halfway decent product."