LG’s G Watch: designing a blank canvas for Android Wear
The G Watch is minimal. The shape aims to bring Android Wear front and center. “The content floats.” The lack of toggles, buttons and periphery is all intentional. “A lack of ornamentation,” is how Chul Bae Lee, VP of mobile design puts it. But it didn’t start out that way. Lee gestures at a soft sheet where there are roughly 10 prototypes of varying shapes and profiles. It’s the “What If…” of LG wearable design, but because these designs are still in LG’s collective brain for possible future use, we’re not allowed to take photos, although it doesn’t stop us from using our words.
We pore over the early prototypes, which are built and machine-finished to seem like the real thing. They intentionally have a slight weight to them, even if there are no electronics inside. One has a brushed-steel finish along a thick bottom bezel, while some jarring LG branding in the corner made another look a tiny wrist-mounted version of the company’s TVs. Several prototypes pack landscape screens, while another, with its curved sides and soft vertices, veers close to Samsung’s Gear 2, or Neo… or Live.
The G Watch has two primary features: commands and notifications — and not, Lee specifies, interaction. This, in a way, explains the lack of buttons (or cameras), as well as the inclusion of a touchscreen that, while accessible, certainly does do as much as your smartphone. “Commands” is an interesting way to put it too, because the primary way of getting information from the G Watch is by barking orders at it.
Circles and squares
The biggest difference between the LG G Watch and Motorola’s 360 is their faces. LG’s product goes for the smartwatch staple, a square LCD, in an aim to maximize usable screen space, while Motorola’s chosen to display Google’s latest project on a circular screen. Lee says. “A circular face? Well, we like it, but it’ll lead to a more classical watch experience.” The exec wouldn’t admit that his company would be bringing out a similarly shaped timepiece, but told us that LG is trying a whole load of things — and it probably helps when you have a display-making companion company.
“A circular face? Well, we like it, but it’ll lead to a more classical watch experience.”
While it’s the first effort, the G Watch is still borderline chunky (just like the rest of the Android Wear gang) and it’s due to what Lee calls the smartwatch’s biggest challenge: battery life. As the LG VP tells it: “I prefer to have high picture quality with (LCD or OLED).” He offers two options: a smartwatch with a low-grade display that will last a week on a charge, or one that has a high-quality screen, but lasts around a day. “[The battery life] could have been very different. It’s the mix of design, hardware, chipsets and display. Some people wanted a 15mm-thick watch face. Well, that’s crazy … but it’s all part of the compromise.”
The sales pitch for Android Wear is a notification-heavy one. This editor wants it to do more — what’s a watch doing that my smartphone doesn’t do already? How does it make my life better? “The point of the G Watch isn’t that we are wearing it, but that we are accessing information instantly — especially compared to a phone,” Lee says. “If I get a call or notification there, I have to drag it out of my pocket, check it, unlock it, answer it. Instant accessibility is the core value here.” But is it worth $229?
Does one size fit all?
The G Watch will arrive on July 7th in black and white options, but it’s a uniform, relatively unisex shape and size. LG’s stance is that smartwatches, at least for now, are nascent. Admittedly, there’s something regressive about gender-specific technology, but these watches and wearables will be compared to “dumber” male and female fashion accessories, whether they want to or not.
There’s something regressive about gender-specific technology, but these watches and wearables will be compared to “dumber” male and female fashion accessories
Lee recalls those heady feature phone days, where companies like LG used to market teenage, feminine and even “silver” phones to different customer segments. “As the smartphone era matured, [these segments] disappeared.” (There was the HTC Rhyme: never forget). Lee says it ties into another trade-off: Change the specification, like increasing the screen size, and you’re going to make the entire thing bigger. “The smartwatch has potential … but there’s still room for refinement.”
Where to buy the LG G3
The G3 is LG’s latest flagship, and as far as we’re concerned, the best handset the Korean company has ever made. It also officially launches for the UK market today. Despite the G3 having top-of-the-range hardware including a frankly insane 5.5-inch Quad HD display (2,560 x 1,440), LG hasn’t yet managed to build a mobile brand that’s as popular as some of the big players. As such, carriers and retailers aren’t all as keen on the G3 as they are on, say, the perpetually advertised Galaxy S5. There are still plenty of ways to get your hands on one, however, whether you’re looking for a new contract, pay-as-you-go device or an unlocked model.
| Three | O2 | Carphone Warehouse | buymobiles.net | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheapest contract (with upfront) | £38 (£29) | £13 (£530) | £33 on O2 (£50) | £30 on EE (£60) |
| Cheapest contract (no upfront) | £35 | £38 | £38 (O2) | £33 (EE) |
| Pay-as-you-go | £500 | £530 | – | – |
| Unlocked (SIM-free) | – | – | £480 | – |
As you can see, it’s only really half of major UK carriers and retailers that’ve decided to stock the G3, although Vodafone did say it was interested at one point — lesser-known online retailer buymobiles.net also gets an honourable mention for its £33 per month contract option on EE’s network, which demands no upfront payment. In terms of MVNOs, only giffgaff has the G3 on offer for just under £20 per month with a £50 one-off payment, or for £479 on pay-as-you-go. The usual suspects Clove and Unlocked Mobiles (as well as Carphone Warehouse, of course) have SIM-free models in stock (Clove’s also bundling every handset with a free wireless charger), but the cheapest place to get an unlocked unit is Currys, of all places, where they’re going for £479. That’s cheaper than the least expensive pay-as-you-go deal, so make sure you don’t go buying a carrier-locked model when you can actually save money opting for a SIM-free device.
Filed under: Cellphones, LG
The three faces of Android Wear, compared
Google made much ado about the debut of Android Wear at its I/O conference keynote, and few would doubt that this is a potentially sea-changing move in the wearable space. However, the company didn’t do much to address the differences between the first smartwatches using its brand new platform. How are you supposed to know which wearable suits you? That’s where we can help out. We’ve taken a good look at this first batch — LG’s G Watch, Motorola’s Moto 360 and Samsung’s Gear Live — to see how they compete. And it’s a closer fight than you’d think. While all three have their charms, you’ll be making some sacrifices no matter which model you choose.
LG G Watch
In many ways, LG’s G Watch is the template for Android Wear, the basic design that everyone will try to equal or beat. It has an unassuming steel chassis, a square display and a distinct lack of party tricks. Those aren’t necessarily knocks against it — if you’d rather not be flashy, this is the smartwatch for you. It also has a bigger battery than the Gear Live (400mAh versus 300mAh), so you could be looking at a longevity champ.
Having said all that, there are some worrisome points. Besides the fairly plain looks, it has a lower resolution (280 x 280), a thicker body (10mm) and a higher price ($229) than the Gear Live; if you only care about the raw numbers, you’re paying more to get less. And since LG’s rivals haven’t provided firm battery life estimates, we won’t know if the G Watch’s claimed 36-hour runtime is above-average for some time to come.
Samsung Gear Live
Design-wise, Samsung’s Gear Live strikes a balance between the plain G Watch and the posh Moto 360. It’s slimmer (8.9mm), sharper-looking (320 x 320) and more stylish than LG’s model, but not nearly the conversation starter that Motorola’s timepiece promises to be. It’s the only game in town if you’re a fitness maven, though; like its Gear 2 siblings, there’s a heart rate sensor that will let you know if your exercise is on track. At $200, the Gear Live may also be the cheapest of the lot.
You may want to see how the battery life works out in real life before you pull the trigger. Samsung is touting “all-day” usefulness, but it’s not saying how many hours you’ll get in practice. There’s a distinct possibility that LG or Motorola could come out ahead.
Motorola Moto 360
The Moto 360 has been the most buzzed-about Android Wear watch to date, and for good reason. In terms of style, there’s no contest — the round display and luxurious materials not only make this the best-looking Android Wear device so far, but the only one that could pass as a conventional watch at first glance. Motorola has also been far more eager to embrace third-party watch faces, some of which already use the circular layout to good effect. So long as you don’t mind a huge frame that would make Flavor Flav proud, it could easily be the frontrunner.
That is, so long as the specs pan out. Most everything about the Moto 360′s hardware is currently a mystery — Motorola still isn’t willing to divulge the battery life, performance, price or storage. There are hints that the exotic form factor could lead to a price tag around $249 or higher, and that big screen may be power-hungry. If you’re reluctant to risk making any major compromises in the name of fashion, we’d recommend waiting until more details emerge this summer.
LG G Watch makes it’s debut in the Play Store Today
At the Google I/O keynote this morning Google announced that the LG G Watch would be making its appearance in the Play Store later today. That moment is now. The G Watch is one of the first of two devices sporting Android Wear to make their way public, the other being the Samsung Galaxy Gear […]
Meet the G Watch, LG’s first Android Wear smartwatch
LG believes it’s hip to be square, and it created a smartwatch to prove it. The G Watch was announced alongside Android Wear, Google’s new wearables platform, and the circular Moto 360 this March. After three months, LG and Google are finally ready to let me slip one on my wrist. The watch is going to be available for pre-order for $229 on the Play Store alongside the Samsung Gear Live (and Moto 360, once it comes out later this summer), and will ship out in both black and white to eager users on July 7th.
With a 1.65-inch display at a resolution of 280 x 280 and sizable bezel, the G Watch is a little bigger than the Pebble Steel, which is the smartwatch I’ve been using up until this point. It looks like it swallows up my wrist, so it’s not going to be a go-to fashion statement for everybody. Just like the Gear Live, LG chose to go with a square shape, rather than circular, mainly to ensure the user will enjoy as much screen real estate as possible. The product managers we talked to also left the door open for future Wear devices with other shapes, so there’s certainly a chance we’ll see more options down the road — especially if the G Watch is considered a success.
The display is covered with Gorilla Glass 3; the sides are constructed with stainless steel; and the back is polycarbonate to allow for attenuation and wireless charging (the watch comes with a charging pad that makes this possible). The straps are interchangeable because it uses a 22mm size, but the wristband that comes with the device is made of silicone and offered me a comfortable fit.
Underneath the back sits a 400mAh battery that LG claims is high-density and optimized for wearable use. When asked about battery life, reps told me that it should last 36 hours in always-on state, and even longer if you opt to turn the screen off — there’s a companion app that you can download onto your Android device, and it gives you a few settings. Additionally, the G Watch boasts an ambient mode when idle, which theoretically helps extend the life of the battery.
In terms of power performance, the 63g timepiece features a 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 processor, coupled with 512MB RAM and 4GB internal storage. I couldn’t fully test out the watch’s performance in real life because the watch itself was in a special demo mode that only gave me a few cards to play with, but I’ll give it a full whirl in my upcoming review.
LG G Watch specifications released, they’re rather solid for a smartwatch
Google announced LG G Watch’s availability at Google I/O today and now we have official specs of said smartwatch.
It turns out LG G Watch is rather powerful considering we’re talking about a smartwatch here. It is powered by a Snapdragon 400 chip and has 512MB of RAM, which we could categorize as a low to mid-range Android smartphone. It has 4GB of internal storage is powered by a 400mAh battery. On the front you’ll find a 1.65″ 280×280 LCD IPS panel. As far as sensors go, the watch carries 3 of them, Gyro, Accelerometer and a Compass and supports Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity. The watch itself weights 63 grams is available in White Gold and Black Titan colors. LG G Watch is water and dust resistant and is compatible with smartphones running Android 4.3 and above.
The watch will be available from Google Play later today.
Via: Pocketnow
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LG’s G Watch has a smartphone processor inside and goes on preorder today
Google thinks it’s finally time for smartwatches. Its Android Wear collaboration with LG goes on preorder today in 12 countries, including the US, Canada, UK, Germany, South Korea and Japan. The G Watch might only be a wearable, but inside beats the heart of a smartphone… processor. Behind the 1.65-inch (280 x 280) IPS display, there’s a substantial Snapdragon 400 chip — the same Qualcomm processor found inside the Galaxy S4 Mini. Below, we’ve got the whole spec rundown, although we’d really love to hear that all-important price tag.
LG is hyped about the voice recognition and Google Now integration. Speech-to-text will substitute for tapping texts out your smartphone screen, while sensors encompass a nine-axis gyro, accelerometer and compass — a few of those are probably going to come in handy for fitness apps. Storage weighs in at 4GB, with 512MB of memory for support, although we’re not quite sure what we’ll use those four gigs for, given that the Android Wear device doesn’t seem to record or store anything. There’s a 400mAh battery (making it bigger than Samsung’s Android Wear device) and it’s all IP67 dust and water resistant, hewn from stainless steel and paired with matching silicone bands — black for the Black Titan model and white for the White Gold one. If you’ve got a fancy leather band that’s aching for a taste of the future, however, any 22mm strap will work, and LG says it’s launching its own collection of bands in the near future.
Filed under: Wearables, Mobile, Google, LG
Source: LG
LG G Watch goes up on pre-order for $255
It’s just a matter of time now until we expect to see the LG G Watch officially announced at Google I/O alongside the Moto 360, both of which will be Android Wear’s first flag-ship devices.So with launch of the LG G Watch imminent, it was obvious that some retailers would be chomping at the bit to… Read more »
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Read the rest at the source, SmarterWatching.com
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LG G Watch Now Available for Pre-Order Priced at $255
Google I/O is less than a day away, and already we have an online retailer posting pre-orders for the LG G Watch. Ausdroid stumbled onto mobilefun.com where they have posted the LG G watch pre-orders that will launch in 12 countries between the dates of July 7th-9th. Is your wallet out yet? Tomorrow we will […]
LG G3 global rollout starting June 27
LG G3 was announced about a month ago and until now it has been available for purchase in South Korea only. It has exceeded expectations on that market by selling 100,000 units in just 5 days and it even outsold Samsung’s Galaxy S5 in that time frame. LG is ready to launch their flagship globally and see how it fares on other markets.
They will launch G3 in waves. Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore, and the Philippines will get it first, starting June 27, exactly one month after it was announced. Other Asian markets will get it soon after. Europe and the Middle East among other regions will get it in July. Expected price for Europe is €615/£500.
LG G3 in its European and Asian variants will come with Qi wireless charging capabilities, you can opt for a proprietary wireless charger if you wish. No word if other regions will get the same treatment.
Will you be getting the G3?
Source: LG Newsroom
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