Galaxy Gear 2, Galaxy Gear Fit Pricing Confirmed By AT&T

Samsung's Galaxy Gear 2 boasts better battery life, a built-in IR blaster, and swappable straps.

After announcing that it will begin taking Galaxy S5 pre-orders starting tomorrow, AT&T confirmed pricing and availability for Samsung’s new smartwatch family in the U.S.

Like the handset, the Galaxy Gear 2, Galaxy Gear 2 Neo, and Galaxy Gear Fit will be available in early April, and prices start at $199. Those who buy a Galaxy S5 before June 5 will get $50 off the Galaxy Gear of their choice.

The Galaxy Gear 2, Samsung’s flagship smartwatch for 2014, is the most expensive of the three at $299. That’s how much the original Galaxy Gear cost when it first launched last year, but we were hoping Samsung may have found a way to reduce the price tag at least a little by now.

The Gear 2 boasts a 1.63-inch Super AMOLED display, and it’s powered by a new Tizen (not Android) operating system. Like its predecessors, it brings notifications to your wrist and allows you to run a number of custom-built applications, as well as take calls and listen to music.

It’s dust- and water-resistant, has a built-in 2-megapixel camera and heart rate monitor, and features an infrared blaster for controlling your TV. It has better battery life than the original Galaxy Gear, as well as interchangeable straps that use a standard 22mm pin.

The Galaxy Gear 2 Neo, which will cost $100 less at $199, is essentially a cheaper version of the Gear 2 that’s missing the camera. If you don’t need that functionality in a watch (who does?), then you can save yourself a small fortune.

image

The Gear Fit will cost the same as the Gear 2 Neo, and it is predominantly a fitness tracker with some smartwatch functionality. It combines with Samsung’s S Health app to record your steps, monitor your heart rate during your workouts, and provide you with notifications for incoming calls, texts, and emails.

AT&T will begin taking pre-orders for all three Galaxy Gear smartwatches — and the Galaxy S5 — starting tomorrow. But unless you really, really can’t wait, we’d recommend holding out until Motorola and LG begin rolling out their new Android Wear watches.