LG Announces the G Watch R, a Smartwatch with Circular Style

Daniel Howley
·Technology Editor
LG G Watch R,
LG G Watch R,

Holy high fashion! LG just announced its new G Watch R smartwatch, and it’s one of the most elegantly designed smartwatches we’ve seen yet. Set to make its debut at the IFA consumer electronics conference in Germany next week, the G Watch R stands out from many of its smartwatch competitors thanks to its stylish circular design.

Like LG’s G Watch, the G Watch R runs on Google’s Android Wear operating system, but that’s mostly where the similarities end. The G Watch R’s circular touchscreen measures 1.3 inches versus the G Watch’s rectangular 1.65-inch screen. The G Watch R’s display has a higher resolution (320 × 320 pixels) compared with the G Watch’s (280 × 280 pixels).

That means images viewed on the G Watch R should look much sharper than those viewed on the standard G Watch. The G Watch R also uses plastic OLED display technology rather than the LCD technology used with the G Watch.

As a result, LG says, the G Watch R will be easier to read in direct sunlight. The G Watch’s screen tended to look washed out in the sun.

image

What’s more, the G Watch R comes equipped with a heart-rate monitor. The G Watch, which sells for $229, took heavy criticism for not including a heart-rate monitor, when the $199 Samsung Gear Live — also an Android Wear device — did.

The G Watch R has some stiff competition in Motorola’s rounded Moto 360 watch, which will reportedly debut on Sept. 4, and Apple’s iWatch, which is expected to launch on Sept. 9.

In other words: The G Watch R might look attractive now, but it’s probably best to wait a few weeks until all of its competitors have been released, too. That way, you can weigh your options (and read all of our forthcoming reviews!) before choosing the smartwatch of your dreams.

Email Daniel at dhowley@yahoo-inc.com; follow him on Twitter at @DanielHowley or on Google+ here.