Android Wear launch wrap-up and why you might want to wait

Now that we’ve got a good dose of the three first Android Wear smartwatches, it’s time for the biggest question mark of all: when and where will these devices be sold. While the Samsung Gear Live and LG G Watch are quite eager to start rolling to the masses, the Motorola Moto 360 is taking a more laid back approach, which might be enough reason to hold off on buying any of these immediately.

The LG G Watch, with it’s 1.65-inch 280×280 always-on display, has been thrown around as the poster boy for Android Wear and, in a sense, it is exactly that. No fancy designs, no extra hardware. In fact, no buttons at all. The device really makes you focus on Android Wear and all that it has to offer. This smartwatch is already up for pre-orders on Google Play Store and is noted to ship July 3. It will start it market trek in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Spain, United Kingdom, United States, with 27 other regions to follow. It costs $229.

The Samsung Gear Live is the surprise guest of the batch but probably also the most familiar. Donning a slightly higher pixel density with a 1.63-inch 320×320 screen, one thing that this smartwatch has over its competitors is the presence of a heart rate monitor. Other than that, it looks like a mix between the Gear 2 Neo, only with the home button hidden at the side. Pre-orders have also started on Google Play Store, but the smartwatch will ship at a later July 8 date. Initial availability is even more limited, restricted to Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, United States. On the upside, it costs the lowest, with a price tag of $199 only.

But the real reason you might want to wait for a while is the Motorola Moto 360. Already a novelty in its form and design, Motorola has made it all the more mysterious by withholding crucial details and features. Our initial encounter with the device left us quite curious and hopeful, leading us to believe that this is one worth waiting for. The Moto 360 won’t be launching until later this summer, with no price range attached yet. So unless you have a collector’s craving or lots of cash to spare, it might be best to wait until all the ducks are in a row before gunning for any of these three.

That is, of course, if buy into the whole Android Wear smartwatch spiel at all. There will likely be many smartphone users still unconvinced about the practicality or utility of a smartwatch, but there will definitely be early adopters eager to jump on the opportunity for a small Android machine on their wrist. Which camp do you belong to and will you be getting one of these smartwatches in the near future? Let’s us know in the comments below.