LG G Watch reviews

The Motorola Moto 360 was hotly anticipated as the first circular Android Wear device, but its screen isn't actually a full circle. The display on the LG G Watch R however, is.
The G Watch R finally sees the fusion between the new wave of smartwatches and the tried and tested design of traditional wristwatches - but does the combination work?
It's still relatively early doors for the smartwatch revolution, and Android Wear is certainly still in its infancy. This has been clear as the early wave of devices we've seen have been a little half baked.
At £220 (around $300, AU$280) the G Watch R isn't cheap, it's comfortably more expensive than the square-shaped LG G Watch (£159, $229, AU$250), Sony Smartwatch 3 (£189) and Samsung Gear Live (£169, $199, AU$250), so if you've just splashed the cash on a new handset it's a considerable additional payment.
That said the price has dropped slightly since launch, and you can now get it for £199.99 if you shop around a little in the UK.
As with all the Android Wear devices the LG G Watch R will work with any Android handset running Android 4.3 or above - and there's even rumours suggesting Google may open up compatibility to iOS devices too, so watch this space.

In terms of specs the G Watch R is relatively well equipped with a 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage and a 410mAh battery.
Compared to the Moto 360 that's a better processor and larger battery, plus you also get a barometer, heart rate monitor and 9-Axis (which includes a gyro, accelerometer and compass).

Display

The LG G Watch R sports a full circle P-OLED display measuring 1.3-inches in diameter, making it slightly smaller than the 1.56-inch offering on the Moto 360 - but did I mention, it's an circle!
While the 360 only has a resolution of 320 x 290, the smaller G Watch R is slightly higher at 320 x 320, giving you a clearer, crisper display.
Putting the two round watches side by side there's a clear difference between them and the G Watch R certainly looks better.

There's no question that the circular displays are more aesthetically pleasing than the square design of the Gear Live and G Watch, but those have the advantage of working with a wider array of apps, as some aren't built for round devices.
The always-on screen means there's no waiting for it to wake when you check the time, and the fully circular design can be mistaken for a traditional timepiece from afar if you've selected a watch face which suits.
During my review time with the G Watch R I never had an issue with the screen in direct sunlight, and I tended to keep the brightness on its lowest setting, which seemed to suffice in most lighting conditions.
That's good for battery life, as I rarely needed to raise it up, and I never required the full brightness setting.

I've not been the only person to bemoan the design of smartwatches and the fact that they generally don't have the style of a traditional timepiece - so much so you'd question even slapping the Samsung Gear Live or LG G Watch to your wrist.
Thankfully though with the introduction of the LG G Watch R and Moto 360 there's a sign manufacturers are cottoning on to the fact that a device with subtle, stylish design will be looked on more favourably in this market.
The Moto 360 is certainly an attractive piece of kit, and it's probably the nicest looking smartwatch currently on the market, but the G Watch R takes the award for looking most like a traditional watch.

If you're already accustomed to wearing a normal timepiece - and I'm not talking about a slimline Casio digital affair - then the size of the G Watch R will be natural.
It measures 46.4 x 53.6 x 11.1mm, making it slightly thinner than the 11.5mm Moto 360, and at 62g it's lighter than the majority of mainstream analogue watches.
The LG G Watch R only comes in the one size, there's not a series of sizes, colours and straps like Apple Watch, so if you're not a fan of black and your wrists are on the more slender side this may not be for you.
It doesn't look quite as premium as the Moto 360 either, with the watch bezel looking like plastic rather than metal which cheapens the appearance of the device.

There is a crown on the right side of the G Watch R, but it doesn't spin round, instead it acts as the power/wake button. You're unlikely to really use it after initially turning the watch on, but its inclusion provides the illusion that this is a watch rather than a mini computer strapped to your wrist.
Then there's the leather strap which, when you first take it out of the box, neither looks nor feels like leather. It appears cheap and doesn't feel particularly nice.
After a good week or so of use though the leather softened up and the strap felt more natural to the touch and on the wrist.
Luckily you can swap the strap out for any other 22mm offering, allowing you to bring some customisation to the G Watch R, and possibly some class as well.

On the rear of the watch itself you'll find a centralised heart rate monitor and five gold connector pins to one side which connect with the charging dock. While the main case of the G Watch R is metal, there's no mistaking the plastic backing.
It's not an issue and against the wrist it feels fine, plus with IP67 dust and waterproofing you'll be able to hop in the shower with the LG G Watch R without having to worry. In fact the G Watch R can be dunked into fresh water (no swimming in the sea or a pool, then) at the depth of up to one meter for 30 minutes.
 

 

The LG G Watch R runs Google's Android Wear platform, and the on-screen experience is pretty much identical to all the other smartwatches using the same software.
The G Watch R has been upgraded to Android Wear 5.0.1 since launching, bringing it inline with Google's Lollipop update for phones and tablets.

 

 

It comes with an emphasis on watch faces, so you get a couple of extra stock ones and the ability to download a host of others, from Pacman to Santa.
The choice will grow as more and more developers get behind the platform, and you can now change the watch face from the Android Wear app on your phone - something I found easier than having to cycle through all the options on the G Watch R.
There's not a lot manufacturers can tweak here to give you a unique experience, so you're stuck with the familiar information cards which appear as and when Google Now decides.
For example, travel times and routes to and from work will display in the morning before you leave the house and before you finish at work in the evening, while the step counter is one of the most persistent cards available.
You can swipe vertically from the bottom of the screen to flick through the available cards, a swipe from left to right will remove a card from the list while moving you finger in the opposite direction will take you to more options.

The G Watch R provides you with an easy to follow tutorial when you first fire it up, and it shouldn't take you too long to get used to the basics.
'Settings' has been made easier to access with the 5.0.1 update, with the option being moved to the top of the list when in Google Now mode - saving you from having to scroll all the way to the bottom.
In settings you can access screen brightness, power off, restart, reset and about - the latter of which has an option to check for software updates, although you'll usually get notified with a card on the watch if there's a new version of Android Wear available.
The 'Start' menu meanwhile shows you all the applications installed on the G Watch R, but more about them on the next page.
There are a welcome number of watch faces pre-installed on the G Watch R, with some traditional timepiece lookalikes mixed in with some modern designs too.

Just hold down on the clock face to see the selection on offer and tap on the one that takes your fancy.
You can download more watch faces, I was particularly partial to 'Secret Agent', which will be familiar to anyone who's played Goldeneye.
Flick your wrist and the dimmed display with light up, alerting you that the G Watch R is ready and listening for an 'Okay Google' command from you.
The voice activation works pretty well, from setting alarms and taking notes to sending emails and making calls - the G Watch R had little trouble understanding what I said and putting my words into action.
It's no perfect though, and on several occasions the G Watch R didn't service me with the right words, which adds considerable delay to your message composition and makes you wish you'd just got your phone out and typed it.
It also still feels rather odd talking to your wrist, and I rarely found myself barking at the watch in public places.
The voice commands certainly come in handy when you're driving or if you're out on a run. At home I used the voice recognition more, but it's still quicker to pick up your phone and bash out a text if you're hands are free.
The Moto 360 disappointed in its full review when it came to performance, but the good news here is the LG G Watch R sports a 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 processor, providing a decent slug of power to your wrist.
It comes with 512MB of RAM, the same as the other Android Wear devices, and I was able to move around the interface easily. Performance seems to have taken a bit of a hit since the 5.0.1 update though, with load times noticeably longer every now and then.
I'm hoping another quick update will solve this, but for now it's a little annoying.
 

 

Source : techRadar