Samsung is reportedly planning to give away a free Gear VR headset with pre-orders of its 2016 flagship handsets, the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge.
Earlier on Thursday Android World reported the handsets will are available for pre-order as soon as they’re announced on at Unpacked on February 21.
The report goes on to say that customers ordering between then and the expected March 11 release date will get a mighty fine bonus in return.
The report says: “In addition, users who place orders from February 21 to March 10 will receive a free Gear VR. To receive these glasses you need to register through a special action page from Samsung, and they will be delivered later.”
Samsung Galaxy S7: Everything you need to know
Those words were later backed up by in-the-know mobile leak artist Evan Blass (aka @evleaks) who described the report as “true.”
https://twitter.com/statuses/697849145596444672
As Android World is a Dutch site, it appears Samsung will be offering the freebie in Europe, but it’s unclear whether the offer will extend to Galaxy S7 pre-order customers in other territories.
The Gear VR headset, made in association with Oculus, is currently available for just $99. It features a more lightweight construction and improved audio on the previous Innovator Edition headsets.
Offering it free to new phone buyers would be a great incentive and another huge boost to the burgeoning VR sector. It could even help Samsung get its flagging smartphone sales back on track.
Samsung is going all in on VR content, with the company producing a full TV series in VR and launching an app charting the life of NBA great LeBron James through 360-degree experiences.
In January, the company announced it would be opening a VR studio in New York, while recent reports have claimed a Gear VR camera will also be launched next month alongside the Galaxy S7 range.
Would you consider jumping aboard with a Samsung handset with such a reward on offer? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
