Smart watches are getting more and more popular every day. While the devices have technically been around for decades, only recently have the watches become the James Bond-esque gadgets people dreamed of. The technology has made huge leaps forward in the last year alone, and it seems like it will only be a matter of time before everyone is wearing their phone around their wrist.
That being said, it'll be interesting to see exactly what people will pay for the devices. Currently, smart watches are generally priced at around the same level as the phones they're based on, though it seems that LG may be pushing the limits of what consumers will tolerate. As it stands, the company's new G Watch R is the most expensive device of its kind and is currently priced at $328 USD.
At that price point, the watch is now far more expensive than any subsidized smartphone, though it should be known that the price comes from a translation on LG's South Korean site. The original price for the watch is ₩ 352,000, which, when converted, comes to about $328 USD. While the price is subject to change when the watch is finally released in the U.S., there is still a chance that the $328 figure isn't far off from the final price of the watch.
Granted, there is quite a bit about the G Watch R to get excited about. For once, the device actually looks like a watch, and can be used as such. Considering the original G Watch was a bulky square design, it's nice to see that the newer G Watch R is actually aesthetically pleasing. The device also features a vastly improved screen over the original G Watch, and comes with a new heartbeat monitor and weatherproofed casings. It even has a nice leather strap for when someone wants to feel fancy.
Video courtesy of AndroidAuthority.
The original smart watches were actually released way back during the 1970s. The first watches were only capable of holding a certain number of digits, and these early models eventually became calculator watches. Through the '80s and '90s, the watches began to focus more and more on exercise before the technology became cheap enough to manufacture fully-featured devices. Nowadays, the watches basically act as everyday smartphones, and the devices have been growing increasingly more popular over the past year.
Currently, LG's G Watch R is only set for release in South Korea: the new smart watch will hit Korean shelves on Oct. 14. For U.S. techies, LG has yet to confirm the watch's release date. Let's hope for a price cut before the gadgets come stateside.
Photo: Maurizio Pesce (cropped)
