Of all the gadgets we use, the watch is the oldest. It has always been used by humanity as a time meter, be it a sundial, hourglass or grandfather clock, it is always present, and over the years it has ceased to be a mere hour counter to add functions. But a stopwatch or calculator isn't enough, or at least that's what the industry preaches. Today watches have become a second screen for your smartphone.
A LG recently launched its new smart watch, the LG G Watch R, which has a classic design, such as the Motorcycle 360, but has a 100% circular display. See our impressions of it below:
Appearance and specifications
O LG G Watch R is a smartwatch that runs the A, the operating system developed by Google for wearable devices (the famous wearables), based on Android.
The detail that draws the most attention at first glance is the screen, with OLED 1.3 inch 100% circular capacitive touch with 320×320 resolution. Regarding the screen Motorcycle 360 – smartwatch from Motorola – everything looks better on the LG watch, with a very deep contrast and saturation much better than most screens AMOLED. Because of its perfectly black background, it manages to perfectly simulate an analog clock leaving the Motorcycle 360 backwards in this regard, in addition, brightness and visibility outdoors are no problem for him.
The only problem is the difficulty that the higher edge of the screen brings to the touch with the fingers. It is slightly less practical than the use in the Motorcycle 360, which opted for more discreet edges.
Its classic and at the same time sporty design makes it look more user-friendly than other smartwatches, as it has an already familiar design. Its body is very robust, the bottom of the watch is made of plastic and accommodates the heart rate sensor and the magnetic charging connector. The watch is IP67 certified, which means it is splash-proof and dust-proof.
Even so, perhaps the design choice was a little less risky than the Motorola protocols for Motorcycle 360. In comparison, the clock Motorola looks more modern and minimalistic than the LG G Watch R, the latter of which may give the impression of being a toy watch.
The bracelets are universal size, so you can exchange them at any watch store for the option that suits you best, simple as that. This is a point to be considered, as the LG decided not to create a totally different bracelet shape from the standard to profit from sales.
Under the hood is a processor Snapdragon 400, 512MB from memory RAM and a Li-Ion battery 410 mAh, which is enough to spend the whole day without needing a charge, according to Vlad Savov, editor of The Verge who reviewed it: “I am able to wear a full 24 hours, even on very active days, before the watch battery is completely drained. That hardly eliminates the added anxiety of knowing I have one more gadget to carry every day, but it does at least put the G Watch R into the reality that it's plausible to use it every day.”
Uso, Android Wear e Google Now
The watch has 100% compatibility with any smartphone Android from version 4.3 Jelly Bean, but does not talk to other systems. If you have one iPhone ou Windows Phone, don't even think about buying such a watch, because for the Google smart watches were not designed to do new things, but to do what your smartphone, read Android, already does, only in a faster and more practical way. The watch takes on a role as the “primary notification station of my online life” in Vlad's words.
In addition to the obvious Gmail messages, other apps allow for push notifications on the watch – like Twitter and Trello – making appearances on the screen. Some apps allow you to respond directly from the watch, but in a limited way, most are limited to asking you to “Open on Smartphone”.
Voice commands could be a great ally for the clock, but for Vlad, they're very limited and consistently frustrating. THE A can identify a command like “Set alarm for 5 minutes” well, but stumbles when a few more words are spoken. He can't write a note in Google Keep and correctly punctuate it or identify the sentences.
The idea of just going to the wrist, recording a note and having your hands free is a good idea. Hands-free interaction is a field where smartwatches have everything to gain ground. Unfortunately, the A only have the right idea, not the right execution.
Google Now Notification Cards are also poorly implemented on the platform to work well on circular screens as the cards are square and the screen is round. In Vlad's words, the interface is about "A round pond filled with square lifeforms". Email notifications are also harmed, as they are displayed at the top of the display, and would be perfect on a square screen, but on LG's watch only part of the sender's name appears. The same goes for the weather forecast.
“Whether it's LG or Google, 'someone' should have reworked these alerts to make better use of a round screen,” Vlad said.
Two features that stand out are: the music and camera controls. Just open the phone's camera app and the watch vibrates on the wrist and turns into a giant trigger button. Once taken, the photos can be viewed on the watch. As for controlling the music, the A proves to be simple and efficient. The watch can control volume and play tracks. But nothing a good headset with controls can't do.
Final considerations
O LG G watch R is a pioneer in the evolution of A, but it doesn't add enough as an accessory to your smartphone or as a smart wristwatch to justify its price. Perhaps it would be more correct to price it with a value below or equal to that of the Motorcycle 360. The smartwatch of LG cost, on average, Real 200 more than the competitor of Motorola, without this implying a better experience or quality.
However, when it comes to watches, the choice between one model or another can be decided by the wearer's style. For the more traditional, the LG G Watch R can be chosen. For the more modern, perhaps the Motorcycle 360 be the best option.
The arrival of the LG G Watch Urbane in Spain, the company's new model, could make the G Watch R cheaper soon. So, it is worth keeping an eye on the discounts offered by the stores.
STRENGTHS
- A beautiful OLED screen that makes everything look better;
- Solid construction;
- It has some tricks for Android users;
- Round watches are objectively better than square ones;
NEGATIVE POINTS
- Android Wear is still an incomplete system;
- Incompatible with iPhone (yet) and Windows Phone;
- The edges of the clock get in the way of touching the screen;
- The battery life is even better than the Moto 360, but it's still insufficient;
