Samsung is reportedly readying the next generation of its Galaxy Gear smart watch line for a launch in early 2014, even though the first generation unit has only just been announced.

According to reports citing South Korean publication Daum, the first-generation device has been released to gauge user demand. Indeed, at launch analysts described it as “a prototype masquerading as a commercial product”.

The next-generation unit is expected to include improved standalone capabilities as well as offering compatibility with a greater variety of smartphones – the current unit is limited to a couple of Samsung’s premium products.

The revised smart watch is likely to be showcased at CES2014 in January and/or MWC2014 in February.

While the smart watch sector in particular is an industry hot topic at the moment – with research firm Canalys forecasting that more than 5 million such devices will ship next year – so far such products have yet to prove their commercial credentials.

The launch of products from Samsung, as well as new devices from Sony and a number of start-ups, and an anticipated announcement from Apple, are expected to drive growth.

With Samsung dipping its toe in the water, Sony has something of an advantage. The Smart Watch 2 it announced earlier this year is actually its 3rd generation unit, although only 500,000 of the first two incarnations made it to customers.