Samsung Galaxy Gear 2 coming. Works with more Galaxy mobiles

If you were intrigued by the Samsung Galaxy Gear watch but a bit disappointed that it only worked with one phone – the Note 3 – and not the S4 you splashed the cash on a few months back, we may have some good news.

Cnet is reporting that a Korean news site Daum is suggesting that version two of the phone is in the pipeline and will arrive next year. And among the many enhancements are that it will work with a wider range of phones. The site says that the second iteration of the watch could be unveiled at CES in January

This is not an especially surprising move. It was massively important for Samsung to get there first with the smartwatch ahead of Apple. However by limiting its distribution Samsung could gauge reaction to the watch’s launch as well buy a bit of development time before it made the device more widely available.

It is clear that the Gear is nowhere near the finished product. It might have some interesting and innovative features such as the apps and the camera, but I wonder if the Gear is really just a prototype to establish the market sector with the more finished device following next year.

Samsung might also look at the price too. Samsung, like Apple, is keen to lock consumers into sticking with its mobiles and if you buy a watch that works with a certain brand’s phone then you are likely to stay with that brand when it comes to an upgrade. So maybe Samsung will reduce that rather aggressive $300 price too.

Here’s why the smartwatch battle is so important to both Samsung and Apple.