Smartwatch Fever for Android Specs, Prices and Launch Dates for all Known Models

Android Wear is here, and everyone wants a piece of the smartwatch action. Even Fossil is listed as an Android Wear partner, although we haven’t heard any rumors of an imminent Fossil release. To make sense of it all, here’s a brief rundown of the context-streaming smartwatches. With some announced talk that you can expect by the end of the year.

Asus Rumored Smartwatch

Asus stated earlier this year that it plans to release a smartwatch. The company would be an Android Wear partner when it announced its wearable OS. But beyond that, Asus has shared no official information. TechCrunch’s rumors indicate a September launch for Asus’s planned Android Wear model. What’s more, Mobile Syrup reports that the new wearable, code-named Robin, will be the thinnest Android Wear hardware available. But here’s the kicker: If TechCrunch’s sources are accurate. Robin will also be less expensive than all the other Android Wear competitors. With a price anywhere between $99 to $149.

Samsung Gear Wear

Last year, Samsung released the Samsung Galaxy Gear, its first stab at a smartwatch. Although the Galaxy Gear received a lukewarm response, its Gear 2 follow-up hasn’t set the world on fire. The company is giving it another go with the Samsung Gear Wave. The Gear Wave runs Android Wear instead of the Gear 2’s Tizen-based operating system. In terms of design, though. The Gear Wave is a slimmer version of previous Samsung smartwatches, coming in at 59 grams.

Specs include a square-shaped, 1.63-inch, 320×320 Super AMOLED display; a 1.2GHz processor; 4GB of storage. The Gear Wave comes with the standard suite of sensors. A compass, a gyroscope, and an accelerometer. But also adds a heart rate monitor, per Samsung’s wont. The watch’s 300mAh battery is rated for a day’s use. You recharge the watch with a proprietary charging caddie that snaps directly onto the back of the device. The Gear Wave strap features an often vexing prong-based clasping mechanism. Still, the band can be removed and replaced with a different option, so don’t believe reports that say otherwise. The Samsung Gear Wave is available for pre-order from Play for $199 and was slated to begin shipping in July 2014.

LG Watch

While the Moto 360 may be flashy, the LG watch is unapologetically simple. It features a square 1.65-inch 280×280 display and weighs in at 63 grams. Inside, a 400 mAh battery will last you 36 hours, according to LG. This isn’t great for a smartwatch, but it is better than the 24 hours Samsung Gear Wave.

A 1.2GHz Snapdragon processor powers the G watch and has 4GB of onboard storage. A nine-axis accelerometer, compass, and gyroscope help track movements. There’s no heart rate monitor or other rarefied sensors. The G watch has a removable rubber strap that attaches to your wrist with a traditional buckle. It’s easy to put the watch on with LG’s belt. But the hardware accepts any 22 mm strap you want to use instead. You can pre-order a G watch right now through Play for $229. The first units will ship to customers in July 2014.

Moto 360

Motorola’s distinctive smartwatch stands out from the crowd with its round, 1.8-inch display evocative of more traditional round watch faces. In fact, from afar, the Moto 360 looks like a bigger version of an ordinary wristwatch. If you’ve cringed at the prospect of wearing a smartwatch, the Moto 360 might change your mind.

In fact, simply because of its distinctive shape. The Moto 360 might be the most stunning Android Wear device available this year. Unfortunately, it won’t ship until later this summer, and Motorola hasn’t announced a specific release date or price.

Specs and features also remain a mystery. But we know it will come in black chrome-looking cases, be water-resistant, and avoid a USB port entirely. So expect a proprietary cradle or complete wireless charging.