The NYTimes apparently had the story first: Keith Packingham, Samsung’s chief product office for mobile, has left. It’s unclear whether he quit or was fired, where he’s going or how long the change had been afoot. Forbes has some good background about the guy and his tenure.
Besides being in charge of Samsung’s phones and tablets, Packingham was in charge of the new Galaxy Gear smartwatch, which has been eviscerated by the press. The NYTimes’ David Pogue wrote, in a review that already echoes with the sound of an historic slapdown:
Nobody will buy this watch, and nobody should.
Ouch.
