Since its launch in April, the Apple Watch has proven to be a big hit among Apple aficionados. The smartwatch sold out in just six hours after Apple began accepting pre-orders, and future shipments of the smartwatch aren’t expected to be fulfilled until mid-June. Despite being at least half a year behind its competitors Samsung, Google, and Pebble, it seems that Apple has gained the upper hand in the smartwatch wars.
In an effort to remain competitive, Apple’s competitors have begun offering significant discounts on their wares as early as last September in hopes of curbing the success of the Apple Watch. Samsung and Motorola have slashed their prices month in and month out to get Android users to adorn their wares while Pebble has made seasonal price cuts to cater to both iOS and Android users.
We combed through several pricetracking websites to find the deepest discounts on popular smartwatches and exclusively chose those that were shipped and sold by Amazon.
Here’s what we found:
Old price: $199.99 (April 18, 2015)
Current price: $149.99 (May 1, 2015)
Price reduction: 25%
The Galaxy Gear S represents Samsung’s best effort in the smartwatch arena to date. With a curved display, integrated exercise and health apps, and the ability to make and receive phone calls right on your wrist, the Galaxy Gear S has an impressive number of features stuffed into a single device.
The only caveat with the Galaxy Gear S is that it requires a 2-year plan from AT&T at $30 a month for unlimited talk and text— however, this also means that you can use the smartwatch as a standalone device, although you would unlock extra functionality if you pair it with a compatible Android phone.
Old price: $149.99 (October 6, 2014)
New price: $89.99 (April 1, 2015)
Price reduction: 40%
The Pebble was one of Kickstarter’s original success stories, raising a little over $10 million in just a month. The watch has since undergone several iterations, however the basic Pebble watch continues to be a popular choice for those who don’t want to plunk down several hundred dollars to get a smartwatch on their wrist.
The most interesting features of the original Pebble include a 5-7 day battery life, push notifications for e-mail, SMS, and other apps, as well as downloadable and customizable watch faces. At under a $100, the Pebble watch is just a fourth of the cheapest Apple Watch on the market.
Old price: $230 (September 15, 2014)
Current price: $149.99 (April 22, 2015)
Price reduction: 35%
The Pebble Steel represents the second generation of smartwatches from Pebble aimed at taking a more fashion-forward stance toward wearables. In addition to featuring a stainless steel case and a scratch-proof Gorilla Glass Watch Crystal, the Pebble Steel comes with a genuine leather band and a waterproof rating of 165 feet.
Just as with the original Pebble Watch, you’ll be able to receive push notifications from thousands of Pebble apps as well as being able to control your watch using your voice.
Old price: $249.99 (March 27, 2015)
Current price: $169.99 (May 1, 2015)
Price reduction: 32%
There was a lot of hype when the Motorola Moto 360 hit the shelves last September. Not only was it Motorola’s first foray into the smartwatch market, it was also one of the first devices to use Android Wear, Google’s operating system for wearable gadgets. You’ll be able to get directions to your destination, track your flights, and google anything using the voice functionality.
In many ways, the Motorola Moto 360 is the closest competitor to the Apple Watch. Both watches provide a seamless transition in user experience between the smartwatch and its corresponding smartphone operating system, allowing users to enjoy the many benefits of smartwatches with few of their hiccups. At under half the cost of an Apple Watch, the Motorola Moto 360 is a steal.
