14 DAY TRIAL // Google made a more detailed presentation of its own wearable operating system – Android Wear at the I/O event, but it also announced that one of the first smartwatches taking advantage of the OS, the LG G Watch, would be made available from the Google Play Store starting June 25.
Now LG has officially launched the highly anticipated devices, revealing all its specifications in the process (which were more or less known).
The watch takes advantage of a minimalist design and doesn't feature any physical buttons whatsoever. The mini-computer comes with an always-on display and can seamlessly connect with other Android devices, delivering the important information when users need it.
The watch arrives with a 1.65-inch LCD IPS display that boasts a 280 x 280 resolution, which is a little bit less than the Samsung Gear 2 with 320 x 320 pixels, but on such a small screen will we even see the difference?
At the core of the device lies a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor combined with 512MB of RAM and 512MB of internal storage.
Unlike Samsung’s Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo, the LG G Watch is compatible with all smartphones running Android 4.3 or above, a positive aspect that will certainly boost adoptions of these little devices.
The LG watch weighs just 63 g / 0.13 lbs and can connect to other devices via Bluetooth 4.0. The watch also bundles a gyroscope, accelerometer and compass, so it will be able to deliver health information too. Note, the watch doesn't have a camera like the Gear 2 Neo.
Adopters will be given the choice between Black Titan and White Gold, when coloring options are concerned and LG says the watch is built of PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) coated stainless steel and comes with a rugged silicon wristband in matching color.
Speaking of ruggedness, the watch has an Ingress Protection Rating of IP67, so it should be safe from dust and water (it can live up to 30 minutes at the depth of 1 m / 3.2 ft).
We should note that the LG G Watch has a bigger battery than the Samsung Gear 2 (400 mAh compared to just 300 mAh), so it should last more.
Google and LG are making the device available for pre-order on Google Play in 12 initial key markets which include the US, the UK, Canada, Italy, South Korea and Japan but more territories will be added soon.
You can grab one for $229 / €167, a tad less expensive than Samsung’s Gear 2 which sells for $299 / €219. However, judging by the fact that the LG one doesn't have a camera, the watch could be compared to the Gear 2 Neo selling for $199 / €146.