Wearables

5 Android Wear watches you can buy right now for a fraction of the cost of the $10k Apple Watch

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The Apple Watch’s availability was just announced with a price range starting at $349 for an aluminum and rubber Sport version all the way to the scale-tipping $10k+ for the high fashion Edition variant. You can get yours starting April 24th, or you can grab any number of Android Wear watches available right now for a fraction of Apple’s inflated price. Here are some of our favorites:

Motorola Moto 360 – $250

Moto 360 screen

Among the first Android Wear devices announced and generally revered as the best on the market. Check out our full review.

LG G Watch R – $299

g-watch-r-wrist

Another top choice, the successor the the LG G Watch (and possibly outclassed by the upcoming G Watch Urbane). We reviewed this one, too.

ASUS ZenWatch – $199

asus-zenwatch-hero

Inexpensive with tons of style. Who needs an Apple Watch? Yup, we have a review for the ZenWatch, as well.

Sony SmartWatch 3 – $199-299

Sony Smartwatch 3 stainless steel DSC07756

We have to say the Steel update to Sony’s otherwise customizable SmartWatch 3 looks just as good as the $559 Apple Watch Collection variant, similarly made of stainless steel, but won’t cost nearly as much.

Samsung Gear Live – $199

samsung gear live wm_3

Samsung hasn’t given as much love to Android Wear among their lineup of smartwatches, but the Gear Live works on a budget.

Kevin Krause
Pretty soon you'll know a lot about Kevin because his biography will actually be filled in!

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43 Comments

  1. People who spend $10K on a watch are looking for a status symbol first, a timepiece second. It doesn’t really matter if you could prove to them that a $300 watch is as good or better. They want to show that they can afford something most can’t.

    1. $10k status symbol? That’s precious…

      http://i.imgur.com/vHSNdYF.gif

      1. but most people have no clue what true high end watches cost…but even walmart shoppers will know that the Apple watch is $500j-10k. So yes, it is showing off for the “normal” class people. I would say that people that can afford $250k watches don’t need a watch to show they can afford it.

        1. I agree. For that kind of money I could have someone accompany me to tell the time and fetch delicious bacon sandwiches.

          But I digress.

        2. Most people also know what a Ferrari 458 looks like and some of those folks who buy them would consider them status symbols.

      2. That’s badass

  2. My concern is that the Android developers will see the success of the Apple Watch at $549 and inch their prices upwards.

    1. I think you meant manufacturers, but no that won’t happen. Just look at the astronomical prices for iPhone, and as it rises we get Android in different price offerings, from affordable to top of the line, all lower priced and with the same basic functionality.

    2. Not going to happen. Most folks know Android hardware is at the bottom of the value chart.

      1. Do you get to live under your own bridge or do you have to time share with other trolls? :D

      2. You don’t mean the same hardware that’s used in iOS devices do you?

  3. This year LG’s got my business when it comes to a smart watch.

  4. I’m looking forward to Urbane. Come on LG

  5. The funny thing is that the Moto 360 does everything the iWatch does and then some. I don’t use mine much, but I like its design since it has a nice circular design.

  6. Gotta go with the Huawei, unless the next gen 360 steps up its game.

    1. I just recently remembered how to pronounce that from an article here a few days back and I still want to say “who-way”. LoL!!

  7. And most of these watches will currently be found gathering dust in most desk drawers due to Android’s once-again failed attempt at a false-belief that it knows what most consumers want.

    Hardly anyone buys Android watches, yet you decide to play the “Watch the squirrel” game and deflect that little tidbit of info.

    1. “…Android’s once-again failed attempt at a false-belief that it knows what most consumers want.”

      What, choices?

    2. The Apple watch will be good, I would agree with that. However, the same statement was made about Android OS, and currently Android is 80-85% of all phones. I get that Apple iOS is good, I’m not debating that, but Android will probably sell more watches too, just not one manufacturer.

    3. Explain how Android messed up what they think consumers want in a smartwatch and how someone here is playing the “watch the squirrel” game (whatever the hell that may be).

      Explain what Apple will do differently besides relying on brand fanaticism.

      Otherwise go buy an iPhone 6+ and wait for it to become the second bulge in your pants in public along with the one you have for Apple.

    4. *

  8. Yeah, but which one of these is compatible with iPhone?

    1. Pebble

    2. Google is said to be working on compatibility with iPhones.

  9. The Moto 360 is the only one I’d consider buying. The rest are kinda ugly. (Don’t even get me started on the Apple watches, gross.)

    1. The LG G Watch… hold up, is it really called the LG G Watch R? WTF!? All them lone letters!! All them G’s!! I’m over here wondering why I’m stuttering and stuff. >.>

      Anyways, The LG G Watch R actually looks nice. I believe it’s on level ground when it comes to the design when comparing to the Motorola 360.

  10. I wouldn’t mention the 360. It’s got a nice bug when you turn it off, it don’t seem to want to turn back on.

    1. Haven’t heard of that before. Isolated incident or under-reported bug?

      1. Not sure if it has been reported. I had to search how to fix it and a few posts came up. I was a day away from going to Best Best and exchanging it.

    2. You are setting yourself up for a meme…

      1. Lol ok!!

        1. I read it once and was like “I guess he forgot to charge it”. LoL!! But I get what you’re saying. That hasn’t happened to mines. Hopefully I remain immune to this bug.

          1. I switch between a Gear Fit, G Watch and 360. I charged it to 100% then turned it off for a few days. Yesterday I decided to wear it and it wouldn’t turn on. My coworkers thought it was a Movado.

  11. Where’s stand-alone capable Gear S on the list? I need stand-alone capability with built-in data, calling and GPS so Apple Watch doesn’t cut it. Like the looks of the upcoming LG Audi watch.

    1. You still need a Samsung device too set it up first time, only reason I don’t have one

      1. apparently, you don’t use Google or YouTube? literally type in to YouTube: set up gear s without Samsung phone”.

        you’re welcome.

        1. Man I got that info from Google, unless somebody didn’t know what they were talking about… And fall back with that apparently nonsense dude,

  12. if apple built it the isheep will follow, unfortunately no matter how useless it might be!! and what’s even worse is that they will think apple invented it.

  13. Original LG G Watch is still available.

  14. Crazy stuff… I hope that even Apple Fans can see that they are being taken for a ride.

  15. Yes, I can buy 5 of either toyota corolla or GM somthing, Honda civic, Ford something, WW beetle, Subaru something, etc cars for one Mercedes S500 or BMW 7-series or Audi or Lexus 4 series, etc. So more of one is not equivalent to one of other. In software programming, 5 Android smartwatches != or < 1 Apple Watch.

  16. I don’t know what the state of Android wear is, but I know with all these companies attempting to leapfrog one another, the Apple watch will look like a dinosaur in a year, and Apple won’t be ready for a complete second gen watch for 2 years.

    RIght now, the Apple watch looks huge and out of place on anyone’s wrist.

  17. Rush Limbaugh is a huge Apple Fanboy and just got done blasting the Apple Watch on his show as pointless, a waste of money and a gimmick. I was totally expecting him to hype it like BGR has been the past few weeks, he personally owns three iphones just so he can switch colors when he wants. He doesn’t even want the Apple watch.

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