“The move highlights important differences in how rivals Samsung and Apple manager their product ecosystems.”
Samsung’s most recent smartwatches and the Gear Fit2 fitness-tracking wristband now offering iOS compatibility. That means Apple iPhone users can now download the Samsung Gear S app from the Apple Store, allowing them to pair their phones with the Gear Fit2 and Samsung Gear S2 and Gear S3 smartwatches.
In a statement announcing the compatibility, Samsung EVP Younghee Lee explained, “We’re constantly looking for ways to enhance our digital offerings and we do this in part by listening to what our customers want”, which of course includes broader compatibility for Samsung’s wearable devices.
The move highlights important differences in how rivals Samsung and Apple manager their product ecosystems. Apple tends to strictly regulate compatibility within its own brand, ensuring that Apple devices only work with Apple software; Samsung, meanwhile, appears more open to working with others, which offers the benefit of helping to ensure that its hardware and software have a broader market reach.
Samsung has lately been seeking to highlight the benefits of its Samsung Gear S3, both for everyday consumers and in business settings, and the new iOS compatibility could help it to further build its case.
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