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LG Launches Watch Phone In India
roh2cool writes "If you are a watch freak and also happen to be a fan of ultra rare (and expensive) gadgets, this might just interest you. The LG GD910 watch phone looks like a normal watch – except for the fact that it can double up as your mobile phone when needed. 'It is quite thin at just 13.9mm and packs in 3G and Video Calling capabilities as well. The phone is quite stylish and the front fascia is covered by scratch-proof tempered glass. It comes with a Bluetooth headset so you don’t have to keep talking like David Hasselhoff talked to his super-car KITT in the “Knight Rider” series.'"
49,990 Indian Rupees mean = 1,084.26 US$ (according to xe.com) - no way the hardware or RD costs are that high, so they are milking it for the novelty factor for now. Seems India has a large enough middle class in search of status symbols now as well. But I wonder what technological breakthrough took so long that wrist-phones only show up now.
The LG Product page mentions a 510mAh battery for 7-8 days no standby, and again no easily replaceable battery it seems.
If you're that worried about damaging it you can always keep it in your front pocket. It does have Bluetooth.
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...which they relate to being a more humble $808 US. Significantly better than the Indian price.
The dirty little secret of anything tech related is not only that, generally, the more poor the place the bigger the margin; also differences actually increase with the baseline price of an item.
One that hath name thou can not otter
People are willing to pay 20 times that for a watch that does nothing more than tell the date and time.
When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
What the hell else is a watch supposed to do?
Timex watches cost $30.. and yet there are people who buy Rolexes at over $3000 ... You dont call them stupid.. BUT someone who wants to buy a very expensive phone is stupid ??
Indians spend a lot on phones. Rs. 10,000 phones are common - and iphone costs Rs.30,000 ($800). So... a $1200 phone is not exactly completely messed up.