14 DAY TRIAL // A lot of the spotlight at Google’s I/O keynote was directed towards Android Wear, which finally got a more detailed presentation complete with demos and everything.
But after the introduction came to an end, Google took the opportunity to unveil the first three Android Wear smartwatches to arrive on the market.
The first two, the LG G Watch and Samsung Gear Live, are already available for pre-order, while the Moto 360 will be released sometime next year.
So for the time being, we only have official information about the two square smartwatches and in what follows we’re going to compared them quickly, to give you an idea about their respective features and specifications.
Design
There is no major difference between the two smartwatches in the aesthetic department. They are both square-looking objects with removable straps, albeit the coloring options differ a little bit. The Samsung one will be offered with black and red options, while the LG tempts customers to choose between Black Titan (basically black) and White Gold.
Both models are dust and water resistant and come with IP67 rating, so you won’t have to take them off your wrist when washing your hands.
Display
The LG G Watch has a negligibly larger 1.65-inch IPS LCD display, while the Samsung comes with a 1.63-inch super AMOLED one.
We could start the debate between LCD and AMOLED once again, but given the fact the screen is so tiny, we’re not sure we’re going to be noticing any real differences.
The Samsung offers the better resolution at 320 x 320 pixels, while the LG has only 280 x 280 pixels; but then again, on a tiny screen like this, it might not matter much.
Performance
The LG G Watch takes advantage of a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor with 1.2GHz CPU while the Samsung draws life from an unnamed 1.2GHz processor. Nevertheless, it appears the two models are on par here.
Both watches are fitted with 512MB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage, so there shouldn’t be any noticeable differences between the two, performance wise.
However, there are other notable differences, like the fact the LG has a larger 400mAh battery, compared to the Gear Live’s smaller 300 mAh one.
The Gear Live has a magnetic charging cradle, while the G Watch relies on a micro USB and charging cable.
Last but not least, the G Watch bundles a nine-sensor axis with accelerometer, compass and gyro, but the Gear Live brings an integrated heart-rate monitor to the table.
Both come equipped with the required industry-standard Bluetooth 4.0.
We won’t be going into software comparison, because both items arrive with Android Wear, so they will be sharing apps and a lot of design cues. Watch faces will certainly vary based on the model.
Pricing
Samsung hasn’t provided a notable improvement here, compared to its earlier Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo smartwatches. The Gear Live doesn’t come equipped with a camera and this might be the reason why the device will sell for a lower price tag ($199 / €145).
On the other hand, the LG G Watch will be sold for $229 / €168, but keep in mind that the device has a lower resolution and doesn’t have a heart rate sensor. On the positive side of things, it does have a larger battery and magnetic charging cradle.
Bottom line, customers will end up choosing for one brand in particular based on individual taste and preference.