Samsung Galaxy Gear gets an official price cut; now available for Rs 19,075

Samsung’s first smartwatch – Galaxy Gear- launched in India just four months back gets its first well-deserved price slash. The official Samsung eStore has now listed the device at Rs 19,075, down from the launch price of Rs 22,990 .   There’s definitely a market for a device like the Galaxy Gear , as we saw in our review , but the price tag didn’t justify the device. Despite the price drop though, we feel that Samsung has missed the opportunity with the Gear and even at Rs 19,075 it’s not the most recommendable device, considering the limited smartphone support. It’s compatible with only a handful of Galaxy devices at the moment. Functionality was limited at launch but it is now capable of showing users notifications from all apps on their phone. It also lets you access some features of your smartphone, without the need to pull it out of your pocket. [caption id=“attachment_209270” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”] Samsung eStore now selling the Gear at a lower price[/caption]   The lack of support and the high price tag resulted in weak sales for Samsung. While that may have forced Samsung’s hand at least in India, it may just be a little too late, especially after the slew of wearables launched at CES, which are definitely the flavour of the season. The Sony SmartWatch 2 and Qualcomm’s Toq are arguably the biggest competition for the Gear. With a no show in Las Vegas, Samsung may most likely showcase a next-gen wearable device at the Mobile World Congress 2014 in February, as hinted by previous reports .   Though the company hasn’t revealed any details about the upcoming smartwatch, rumours circulating the web point towards a fitness-focused Galaxy Band. The all-new Galaxy Band is expected to be loaded with sensors for capturing data on motion, pressure and temperature, things that are essential for fitness trackers. The device will connect with Samsung Galaxy devices (and presumably other phones) via Bluetooth LE. But despite all rumours pointing to a CES launch, we’ll have to wait a while to know what Samsung has in store as far as wearables are concerned.