A (165)

(Wang) #1

A


lthough we liked the original G Watch from
LG, it seemed a little too basic for the price
you had to pay for it. This time around, LG
has taken a different path and the G Watch R feels
like a totally new project that’s separated itself
from the original. First and foremost, the metallic
design of the G Watch R is fantastic and the build
quality is second to none. There’s a handy dial
around the edge of the 1.3-inch screen, as well as
the charging port around the back. It’s also circular,
a big contrast from the ugly square exterior on the
original G Watch, and noticeably more comfortable
to wear for prolonged periods of time. Although the
leather strap that shipped with the G Watch R is
comfortable to wear, you’ll almost certainly want to
invest in the metal strap to add to the premium feel
of this smartwatch.
Connecting to Android Wear is easy enough and,
similarly to the Moto 360, it’ll take just a few
minutes to get up and running. Users can enjoy the
G Watch R’s entire 1.3-inch display without any area
of it being cut off and the 320 x 320 resolution
leaves everything crystal clear. Notifi cations
appear from the top and bottom of the app and it’s
a simple case of dragging them to open them up on
the watch. Android Wear isn’t perfectly optimised

for circular devices as of yet, with several
notifi cations being cut off in the corners of each
screen, but it’s more of a problem on the Moto 360
than on the G Watch R. Thanks to being able to use
every pixel of the screen, responding to
notifi cations and generally getting around the
watch is a pleasant experience.
Although we still think smartwatches do require
at least 1GB of RAM to keep everything running
completely smoothly, a decent Snapdragon 400
processor backs up the 512MB of RAM here. The
added processing power does affect the battery
life to some degree and although the 410mAh
offering here can make it through a day without
charging, it depends entirely on just how much you
use it on a daily basis.
Smartwatches are fast becoming the must-have
device for Android users to invest in. There’s still a
lot of work to be done and while the LG G Watch R
isn’t perfect – it needs a slightly beefi er battery –
it’s by far the best smartwatch that we’ve tested.
We’d say the biggest area of improvement that
needs to be looked at is ultimately with how these
devices integrate with Android Wear, but that’s
more of an emphasis on Google to get it right,
rather than the manufacturers.

LG G Watch R


Robustbynature
There’s little we can fault in terms of
the design here. Everything from the
metallic dial to the buckle feels well
constructed, but we do think you’ll
want to pay out a little more for the
metal strap

Full display
Users can experience the entire
screen of the G Watch R – without
having a portion of it cut off, a
problem found in the Moto 360. This
makes moving around the watch’s
interface a terrific experience

While more expensive than most smartwatches, the


G Watch R is a surprisingly good device


If you want to be an early
adopter of an Android Wear
smartwatch, this is the device
you need

»Verdict


Value for money
Noticeably more expensive than the
competition currently on the market

Features
Lots of customisable extras to explore, but
Wear can still be improved

Design
Without doubt this is a stunning smartwatch
that ticks all the right boxes

Performance
Extra processing power keeps things nippy,
but battery life could be better

»Operating system...............Android Wear
»Processor...................................Qualcomm Snapdragon 400
»Memory.....................................512MB RAM, 4GB storage
»Dimensions..............................46.4 x 53.6 x 9.7mm
»Weight..........................................62g
»Display size...............................1.3-inch
»Display resolution...............320 x 320 pixels
»Connectivity.............................Bluetooth
»Expansion slot.......................N/A

technical specs


Price £224.99
»^ More information http://www.l
»^ Supplied by http://www.clove.

information


LG G Watch R


better t ethan


LG G Watch R

LGG N/A
Watch
issue 042

Battery life
Good for the mos
part, but the
processor drains
the 410mAh
battery quickly

Customised for you
What makes Wear such an exciting OS
is that you can customise large parts of
how your smartwatch functions.
Choose from various watch faces,
display options and how the watch
deals with notifi cations

Extra power
The bonus of having a
Snapdragon 400 processor means
that moving around the watch is
very quick. The downside to this
added power is that the battery will
undoubtedly drain faster
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