Samsung’s latest smart wearables, the Gear 2, Gear 2 Neo and Gear Fit, were only announced a few weeks ago, but we’ve been in the dark about the price ever since. When the original Galaxy Gear launched last Fall it sold for a rather expensive $299, and while initial sales were good they seemed to have fallen off, as Samsung never again touted how well it was selling after the initial wave of shipments. Many have blamed two major factors for the lack of blockbuster sales on the device: exclusivity to Samsung devices only and the high price of entry. When Best Buy dropped the price temporarily in the US to $150 it’s very likely that quite a few more Galaxy Gears were moved out of inventory, and we also saw the Galaxy Gear drop to £99 in the UK recently at some retailers, likely also looking to get rid of stock before the Gear 2 arrived. Unfortunately it seems these price drops were only to get rid of inventory and not an indication of a cheaper set of Gear 2’s, and the pricing we saw leak from yesterday’s UK leak have turned out true.
We’re finding out that the official price of the Gear 2 is 8,999 TWD, which translates to around $299, and the Gear Fit will be 5,990 TWD, which translates to around $199. While it’s not surprising to see the Gear 2 retail for the same price as the original Galaxy Gear did, it’s unfortunate for those hoping for a cheaper smartwatch experience from Samsung. Still what can we expect when Samsung has crammed even more tech into the Gear 2 over the Galaxy Gear, including being IP67 water and dust resistant (unlike the original Galaxy Gear), a heart beat sensor and a number of other tweaks as well. Even still with these additions one has to wonder what the average consumer is willing to pay for this kind of tech, and if the majority of people out there even want smartwatches instead of a regular watch anyway. The launch of the next-generation of wearables, including watches like the Gear 2 and the Moto 360, will definitely give us a greater view of what consumers want and at what price point. Until more specific pricing is nailed down for Motorola and LG’s next-generation smartwatches we really can’t tell how much more they’ll appeal to customers over the Gear 2 and Gear Fit, but one things is for certain: compatibility with more devices is paramount to success of a product, and Samsung seems to have not changed their stance with the next-generation Gears at all.