Verizon has quietly discontinued its Wear24 smartwatch, a wearable device that was only launched four months ago.
If you are not able to remember the Verizon Wear24 smartwatch, we can't blame you: sales for the wearable device never really took off, as it was eclipsed by better products in the market.
One Last Look At The Verizon Wear24 Smartwatch
The Verizon Wear24 smartwatch was first announced in February as an Android Wear 2.0-powered device that is capable of making calls, sending text messages, and playing music even when not connected to a smartphone. If those features sound familiar, that's because those form part of the major selling point of the Apple Watch Series 3 with its LTE capabilities.
In addition to 4G LTE support, the Verizon Wear24 smartwatch offered a 1.39-inch AMOLED display with a 450 mAh battery, various watch faces, an NFC chip to enable Android Pay, and water resistance. It was initially expected to be released in March, but it was delayed and rolled out in May.
For $300 on contract and $350 without one, the Verizon Wear24 smartwatch was expensive amid a wearable device market that has struggled to gain traction. The fact that the device also encouraged the usage of the Messaging app of Verizon on both their smartphone and on the smartwatch turned off customers, as that app highlighted words and turned them into monetized links. To top it all off, the Verizon Wear24 smartwatch did not get good reviews, with mediocre components and features.
At least Verizon did not let the wearable device suffer too long. Android Police first discovered that accessing the sales page for the smartwatch redirects users to its support page. The website then was able to receive confirmation from the carrier that the Verizon Wear24 has indeed been discontinued just four months into its life.
Verizon Wear24 Discontinued: What Now For Wearables?
Verizon's unsuccessful foray into the smartwatch industry will likely make the carrier avoid making another such move in the future. The company released a product that nobody wanted, especially as the Apple Watch Series 3 with LTE price is just a bit higher at $399.
Apple has been positioning the Apple Watch as a more health and wellness-focused device, and other wearable device companies have been chasing it. Fitbit, for example, unveiled the Fitbit Ionic smartwatch last month as a so-called Apple Watch killer, with a multitude of features and a price tag of $300 once it launches in October.
