LG is stealing Motorola’s thunder with the launch of its G Watch R. The circular smartwatch goes on sale today at a premium from retailers and an Australian carrier partner.
LG’s G Watch R is not the first to market with a round watch-face. Last week Motorola released its Moto 360 for $329. Motorola’s launch strategy has been stifled with trickling stock levels and no support from carriers.
Optus is throwing its weight behind the G Watch R, along with retailers Harvey Norman and JB Hi-Fi. The G Watch R is being sold at a $30 premium to its Motorola rival at $359.
Motorola’s Moto 360 has a round watch-face, but the actual LCD screen has one flattened side. LG is calling its G Watch R the first smartwatch to come with a completely circular display.
Metal has been used for the G Watch R’s face, while the wristrap can be interchanged with a run-of-the-mill 22mm band. A number of virtual watch faces can be displayed on the 1.3in, Plastic-OLED (P-OLED) screen.
Exercise enthusiasts will be able to use the G Watch R as a running companion as it packs a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor to monitor-heart rates. Sweat won’t bother the smartwatch as it is has an IP67 water- and dust-resistant rating.
The smartwatch runs Android Wear, will present wrist-styled notifications and will work with Android smartphones running Android 4.3 and onwards.
The G Watch R is available today from retailers Harvey Norman, JB Hi-Fi, and from Optus for $359.
Specs at a glance
• Chipset: 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400
• Display: 1.3-inch P-OLED Display (320 x 320)
• Memory: 4GB eMMC / 512MB RAM
• Battery: 410mAh
• Operating System: Android Wear
• Sensors: 9-Axis (Gyro/ Accelerometer/ Compass), Barometer, PPG
• Colour: Black
• Other: Dust and Water Resistant (IP67)