The LG G Watch may be the less exciting of the two smartwatches coming in Summer 2014, but LG is not backing down on some of its unique features and how it could “define the smartwatch” unlike any other.
In a new promo video for the LG G Watch, we get to see some of the main features, like compatibility with Android, the metal body and sleek design, the all day battery life in a single charge, waterproof design and Android Wear, Google’s smartwatch SDK.
Google is handling most of the software and we wonder if Android Wear will be locked on one design, making LG and Samsung stay away from skinning the platform, this would be an upgrade for fans of stock Android.
It will also make it near impossible for LG or any other company to make their smartwatch only compatible with a set few smartphones. Samsung’s Gear smartwatches are only compatible with a few Galaxy phones, but these run on a custom OS.
Waterproof design is an obvious win for the LG G Watch, Motorola has already confirmed the Moto 360 will be water resistant, not sure to what IP rating, most likely IP67 to avoid the “waterproof” name and stick to water resistant.
Other than that, the one charge battery life sounds amazing, but we think it will be a combination of wireless charging and Google optimising Android Wear for all day use without sponging too much battery when on standby.
Android Wear still needs to explored fully before we can start working out what can and can’t be done on a smartwatch, learning about Google’s guidelines and rules on the new SDK for wearables.
LG and Motorola will both announce smartwatches in Summer 2014 and Google has a big list of partners for Android Wear, meaning we should see a few more smartwatches in the second half of the year.
