While Samsung didn’t announce a specific price, it’s available for pre-order in Europe for €480. That would put it at about $520.
It’s significantly cheaper than a gold Apple Watch, which starts at $10,000. However, that’s because the Gear is only gold-plated with a stainless steel body, whereas Apple’s offering is made of solid gold.
It’s also worth noting that like the Gear S2, the new watch will run Samsung’s Tizen OS instead of Android Wear. While our review found a lot to like, it could be a dealbreaker if you’d rather stick to Google’s ecosystem.
Why this matters: If there’s a product that can be done in gold, it seems just about everyone is willing to give it a try. Samsung offers many of its flagship phones in gold plating, and Huawei recently announced a gold Nexus 6P. As a new year’s worth of phones begin to launch, it will be worth noting if any other companies jump on this gold rush.