Since IFA last month there have been a number of awaited Samsung products. No doubt the most awaited was the Note 4 series of devices with both the standard Galaxy Note 4 and its slightly stranger sibling, the Note Edge both gathering a lot of attention. However, a less publicized but just as anticipated Samsung device is the Galaxy Gear VR. If you missed the early reports this is Samsung’s take on virtual reality and their version of the more commonly known Oculus Rift.
Since its outing at IFA we have seen limited but recurring reports on the devices predicted availability and price. No firm details have been given by Samsung on the Gear VR, but it was reported last month that a UK online retailer (MobileFun) had started taking pre-orders for the device. Through MobileFun the VR unit was being priced at £150 for UK consumers and £250 for international orders. This was a little more expensive than what had been the anticipated cost for the device which was more expected to be around the $200 mark. In spite of the pre-orders being active there was again no indication of when the device would be available.
Today it seems a leaked (apparently internal) document has appeared (see image below) suggesting the VR unit will be available to buy from December 1st. The document mainly suggests the release date is for Samsung’s home market, South Korea with no further details on whether the device will get an international launch at the same time. The document also suggests the device will be priced at KRW 200,000 (roughly $190) which is a lot more in line with what would be expected. It is worth remembering that the Gear VR only works along with the Note 4 and as such anyone wanting to buy the unit does have to buy the Note 4 too. With this in mind, it’s not in Samsung’s interest to price this item too high as its lack of compatible devices already limits the potential customer base. Samsung wont wish to further reduce customer-numbers due to a heightened price point. If you are a gamer than the VR is probably of most interest to you. However gamer or not, if you do want to give the unit a go and see what it is actually all about then it was reported last week Best Buy have received their demo units for in-store testing. So those interested should head down to Best Buy otherwise interested buyers will have to wait until December 1st (at least) before being able to get hold of the Gear VR.
