14 DAY TRIAL // Last week at MWC Samsung announced the successor of the original Galaxy Gear smartwatch. On top of that, Sammy also threw in a health-centric wearable, a product in the vein of fitness bands, like Nike FuelBand SE and Jawbone UP.
The new Gear 2, Gear 2 Neo and Gear Fit did a good job of capturing the attention of many present on the grounds in Barcelona, but details about pricing and availability were omitted from the launch party.
But now, SamMobile claims it has come in possession of information revealing the pricing specifications for the new Samsung wrist wearables. According to them, the Gear 2 will become available at the same price as the older Galaxy Gear, meaning £299 / $498 / €363, while the Gear 2 Neo will be available for £199 / $331 / €242, the same as the Gear Fit.
Oddly enough, this contradicts another piece of information, posted via Three UK’s product chief Twitter page that claimed the Gear 2 Neo will be made available, March 5 for £149 / $248 / €180 a pop.
The reality is that, until Samsung comes out and officially announces the pricing specifications for the smartwatches and fitness wearable, we have to take these leaks with a grain of salt.
So what do you think? Does £299 / $498 / €363 sound like a lot of money to pay for a smartwatch? For us, it does. Remember the original Galaxy Gear’s price was shaved off soon after its launch by retailers such as Best Buy.
On the other hand, £199 / $331 / €242 for the Gear 2 Neo might be a decent price for the device, but the same being applied to a simple fitness-health wearable like the Gear Fit, doesn't sound like a good strategy.
For those who need a little memory refresh, the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo are the successors of the original Galaxy Gear smartwatch, minus the “Galaxy” moniker.
With the two devices, Samsung also dropped the Android operating system in favor of its own Tizen OS, which is a pretty limited platform, at the moment. On the other hand, the Gear Fit doesn't seem to be running any OS at all.
Anyway, we can assume in the US the Gear 2, Gear 2 Neo and Geat Fit will sell for $299 / €218, $199 / €145 and $199 / €145 respectively.