All about Technology: Updated: Major US carriers reveal Samsung Gear S release date

Thursday, 30 October 2014

Updated: Major US carriers reveal Samsung Gear S release date

When the Samsung Gear S smartwatch was announced all anyone would say about its release date was that it would arrive this fall.

Now the US's four biggest carriers have all, to varying degrees, spilled the beans on when you can get your own Samsung Gear S.

The Gear S has a large (for a smartwatch at least) 2-inch display and 3G capabilities (so it doesn't need to be paired with a smartphone), and it shuns Android Wear in favor of Samsung's own Tizen OS.

Here's exactly where and when you can strap one on in the US:

AT&T

AT&T announced this morning that it will launch the Samsung Gear S on November 7 for $200 with a two-year contract.

Alternately the watch costs just $100 more without a commitment, which isn't a bad deal, especially since you can add it to an existing AT&T Mobile Share plan for $10 a month.

Verizon

Verizon sent its announcement out in the form of a tweet.

Big Red will launch the standalone Samsung smartwatch for $350 on-contract, which makes AT&T's offer look like charity.

Verizon hasn't even announced a Gear S release date yet, which may be for the best, since the carrier clearly has some thinking to do about its strategy here.

T-Mobile

T-Mobile is accepting pre-orders for the Samsung Gear S starting today, October 30, and it will release the smartwatch on November 9.

The "un-carrier" is also launching a special plan with unlimited talk, text and data (throttled from 4G down to 2G after the first 500MB of every cycle) for $5 per month.

T-Mobile customers can get the Gear S either for $350 (matching Verizon, but trumped by AT&T's price) or $14.58 a month for 24 months, with no cost up front.

Sprint

Last and also least, Sprint also announced today that it plans to carry the Samsung Gear S beginning November 7.

Sprint will sell the smartwatch for 24 monthly payments of $16, totaling $384 before taxes.

The carrier also requires you to sign up for a plan with this rate, making Sprint's offer objectively the worst.

The Gear S can be added to a Sprint Family Share Pack plan for $10 a month, although the carrier will generously waive that fee through December 2015 on plans over 20GB.