Wearables have so far generated a healthy amount of interest among CES 2014 attendees. The problem with most of these devices, however, is their exorbitant prices at launch. Archos plans to fix that by introducing budget-friendly smartwatches.

Currently works in progress, three models of Archos smartwatches have been showcased in Las Vegas. The most basic of the three will apparently set users back at just $50. For that price, it features a monochrome display—measuring 1.55 inches diagonally—and more than a week’s worth of battery life. Connecting it with a compatible smartphone is done via Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy. When hooked up, this smartwatch will function as a reminder of sorts (SMS, email, Facebook updates, etc.) and controls for music playback.

Archos smartwatch hands-on

The next model will have double the former’s price. At $100, the display is now an LCD with color, which seems to be battery-hungry enough to reduce battery life to up to two days. Last but not least, the high-end variant will cost $129 and offers the same battery life as the cheapest model and touts an e-ink curved display. The latter two’s display measures 1.8 inches diagonally.

The ETA for these Archos smartwatches is around summer 2014, starting with the cheapest model.

[Source: Archos, via: AppleInsider]

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