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Sarah Tew
Samsung has reiterated its commitment to smartwatches, announcing Australian pricing and availability for the Gear S — its sixth smartwatch.
At the same time, the company has revealed Australian pricing for the Gear VR virtual reality headset and the Gear Circle Bluetooth headphones .
The Tizen-based Gear S smartwatch is notable for taking a separate SIM card, allowing it to have 3G connectivity without relying on a paired phone. The Gear S will be on sale from Samsung and other retailers in November for AU$449 — making it Samsung’s most expensive smartwatch by a significant amount. You can read our hands-on preview from IFA 2014 here .
At the time of writing, it was unknown if the Gear S will be sold via any telcos, but given the SIM card requirement, it wouldn’t be completely unexpected for it to be available on a plan from one or more of the major carriers.
Sarah Tew
Also shown off at IFA 2014 is the Gear VR virtual reality headset. Powered by Oculus, the Gear VR is actually an accessory for the AU$949 Note 4 smartphone, leveraging the Note’s Quad HD screen and processing power to create a VR experience that includes head-tracking. The Gear VR is also slated for a November launch at the price of AU$249, from Samsung directly and other retailers.
Finally, Samsung will also be bringing the Gear Circle to Australia. These Bluetooth headphones have a magnetic clasp to allow them to clip securely around your neck. They have a vibrate function for call alerts, but otherwise operate pretty much like any standard Bluetooth headset. They’re also going on sale in November, for AU$179.
