Want to be first with Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch? Cough up $1,000

If you want to be among the first to buy and use Samsung’s Galaxy Gear smartwatch, you better prepare to pay up to a $1,000.

Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Gear earlier this week, and it seems to be more advanced than any other smartwatch we’ve ever seen. The Galaxy Gear has a touch screen, can be used to make voice calls, run apps and shoot photos and videos. And Samsung claims its battery lasts a full day on one charge.

But like most smartwatches, the Galaxy Gear needs to be connected to a smartphone in order to work, and in the Galaxy Gear’s case it has to be connected to the Galaxy Note 3.

PHOTOS: 10 things you need to know about the Galaxy Gear

Samsung plans to make the Galaxy Gear functional with some of its other devices later on. But for now, it appears that when the Galaxy Gear launches in October, the Galaxy Note 3 will be the only device it can connect to.

So essentially, you’ll have to buy both.

You can preorder the Galaxy Gear and the Galaxy Note 3 as a bundle now from Verizon for $599.98 with a two-year contract before taxes. Verizon’s website says the devices will ship by Oct. 10, but no word on when you would actually receive the gadgets.

And if you absolutely want to be among the first to buy and use the Galaxy Gear, then you’ll have to head to T-Mobile, where the price gets more expensive.

T-Mobile will sell both the Galaxy Gear and the Galaxy Note 3 starting on Oct. 2, but they won’t come as a bundle.

The Galaxy Gear alone is going to cost $299.99 from T-Mobile. That’s kind of pricey, but not terrible. But when you add in the price of the Galaxy Note 3, the total cost skyrockets.

T-Mobile will sell the Galaxy Note 3 for $199.99 plus 24 payments of $21. Add that up, and the Galaxy Note 3 costs $703.99.

When you add the $299.99 Galaxy Gear with the $703.99 Galaxy Note 3, the total price ends up being $1,003.98 -- and that’s also before taxes.

AT&T and Sprint have yet to announce the details on how and when they will sell their new Samsung devices, so there’s a chance they may announce bundles as well.

But for now, the Galaxy Gear looks to be a very pricey gadget.

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