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3G-capable LG smartwatch appears in an FCC filing
LG's apparently gearing up to release a new smartwatch in the US other than the G Watch R -- one that's 3G-capable, just like Samsung's Gear S. A document that's just passed through the FCC points to an oval/rectangular LG smartwatch (57.7 x 35.5 mm) slightly smaller than the Gear S (58.3 x 39.8 mm) which comes with CDMA connectivity. Because of its codename (VC100) and the fact that it supports Verizon's CDMA frequencies (according to the FCC docs), it might just land on Big Red if there's a US launch. With 3G connection built into the watch, it can presumably work on its own -- download apps, make phone calls, send messages and connect to the internet, among others -- without being paired with a smartphone. It may take a while until the mysterious smartwatch comes out, though, seeing as LG's answer to the Moto 360 isn't even out in the US yet.
LG officially reveals circular G Watch R with improved design and familiar features
Not one to wait around for trade shows to officially begin before flaunting its new products to the world, LG is no longer teasing the G Watch R, its upcoming circular Android Wear smartwatch -- it's showing it off in all its glory. And just as the company hinted at on Sunday, it comes with a 1.3-inch Plastic OLED (P-OLED) full 360-degree display. LG says that it isn't trying to replace the original G Watch, but rather offer another choice: The R is an elegant device that looks and feels more like a classic watch than its squarish predecessor. Good timing, too, since it's going to be competing head-to-head (wrist-to-wrist?) against the Moto 360, a similarly shaped watch that will likely be available next week.
LG fixes G Watch charging flaw that can irritate your skin
Whatever you think of LG's G Watch, it has a flaw that can get under your skin a little too literally. Wearers have noticed that its charging pins maintain a current even when they're on a sweaty wrist, triggering corrosion, skin irritation and even minor burns. Thankfully, some relief is at hand. Both LG and Google have confirmed to Android Police that they're rolling out an over-the-air fix which turns the current off unless the Android Wear gadget is sitting in its charging cradle. The companies say that only a "small number" of G Watches have produced this problem, so your arm isn't likely to be in danger. However, it's safe to say that the patch can't come soon enough -- it's not often that code can damage both people and their devices.
LG's G3 and G Watch are coming to AT&T on July 11th
Sprint and T-Mobile may have been the first big US carriers to announce launch plans for LG's G3 smartphone, but they won't be the first to actually carry it. AT&T has revealed that both the G3 and the Android Wear-based G Watch will reach its stores on July 11th, with online orders beginning on the 8th. In both cases, pricing is par for the course. You'll pay $199 on contract for the G3, or $29 per month in one year's worth of Next installments; the G Watch will cost you $229 up front. The AT&T-native G3 doesn't particularly stand out (unless you really, really like Big Blue's logo), but it may be your best bet if you just have to get a quad HD-capable Android phone as quickly as possible.
Android Wear review: Taking smartwatches in the right direction
When I was a tiny tot, I watched Knight Rider and pretended I was Michael Knight, talking to KITT on my watch. Yet now that there are real-life watches that can do even more things, I don't find myself quite as excited as my 5-year-old self was. Smartwatches have been around for over a decade already (remember Microsoft SPOT?), but the category hasn't evolved at the same pace as smartphones. It's not because there's a shortage of digital wrist-worn timepieces. The problem is that there's no common platform for third-party apps, which means there's little potential for growth. There also doesn't seem to be any vision. Some watches act as Android phones with SIM cards and tiny touchscreens, while others try to establish their own platform to entice developers. Still others have even tried to put fitness bands and smartwatches into one device, to limited success. Even worse, most of the watches on the market today are what you might call "fashionably challenged" -- they simply aren't attractive enough to entice the masses. Google's solution is to extend its Android platform -- which has very strong market share and developer support -- to the wearables genre with Android Wear.
Engadget Daily: living in Google's world, the faces of Android Wear and more!
Today, we take a look at the Android L Developer preview, compare the three faces of Android Wear, evaluate a $1,000 bread-making robot and dive into the hyper-connected world of Google. Read on for Engadget's news highlights from the last 24 hours.
LG's G Watch: Designing a blank canvas for Android Wear
The G Watch is minimal. The shape aims to bring Android Wear front and center. "The content floats." The lack of toggles, buttons and periphery is all intentional. "A lack of ornamentation," is how Chul Bae Lee, VP of mobile design put it to us when explaining the company's wearable. But it didn't start out that way. Lee gestures at a soft sheet where there are roughly 10 prototypes of varying shapes and profiles. It's the "What If..." of LG wearable design, but because these designs are still in LG's collective brain for possible future use, we're not allowed to take photos.
The three faces of Android Wear, compared
Google made much ado about the debut of Android Wear at its I/O conference keynote, and few would doubt that this is a potentially sea-changing move in the wearable space. However, the company didn't do much to address the differences between the first smartwatches using its brand-new platform. How are you supposed to know which wearable suits you? That's where we can help out. We've taken a good look at this first batch -- LG's G Watch, Motorola's Moto 360 and Samsung's Gear Live -- to see how they compete. And it's a closer fight than you'd think. While all three have their charms, you'll be making some sacrifices no matter which model you choose.
Meet the G Watch, LG's first Android Wear smartwatch
LG believes it's hip to be square, and it created a smartwatch to prove it. The G Watch was announced alongside Android Wear, Google's new wearables platform, and the circular Moto 360 this March. After three months, LG and Google are finally ready to let me slip one on my wrist. The watch is going to be available for pre-order for $229 (update: preorders are live here) on the Play Store alongside the Samsung Gear Live (and Moto 360, once it comes out later this summer), and will ship out in both black and white to eager users on July 7th.
LG's G Watch has a smartphone processor inside and goes on pre-order today
Google thinks it's finally time for smartwatches. Its Android Wear collaboration with LG goes on pre-order today in 12 countries, including the US, Canada, UK, Germany, South Korea and Japan. The G Watch might only be a wearable, but inside beats the heart of a smartphone... processor. Behind the 1.65-inch (280 x 280) IPS display, there's a substantial Snapdragon 400 chip -- the same Qualcomm processor found inside the Galaxy S4 Mini. Below, we've got the whole spec rundown, and we're told the G Watch will be available for $229.
G Watch promo video gives us another peek at LG's Android-powered wristwear
We're not expecting to find out all about LG's "G Watch" smartwatch (and new top of the line G3 phone) until the end of this month, but if you needed another teaser then here it goes. A short promo video for the device doesn't introduce much in the way of details, but if you want to see its Android Wear software in motion or a few 360-degree rotations of its "timeless" metal body, this will suffice. LG is still promising to the "define the smartwatch" with all-day comfort and readiness for anything on a single charge despite an always-on screen, all in a water- and dust-resistant shell.
LG's probably going to announce the G3 and G Watch on May 27th
LG's new flagship phone is coming: the company told us to expect the G3 later this quarter, with a screen resolution going beyond the (increasingly standard) 1080p spec. New smartphone necessitates a glitzy press reveal, right? This time round, LG is going global, hitting up six different cities (San Francisco, New York, London, Seoul, Singapore, Istanbul) in the span of two days. "To be simple is to be Great" is the company's tagline, with that intentional capitalization likely pointing to said new smartphone, or dare we dream, the G Watch, one of the first smartwatches set to run Android Wear, Google's latest software effort aimed at making wearables a thing. We'll be in attendance at one or two of those aforementioned cities -- expect at least one product starting with the letter 'G'. Update: A French site, Les Numeriques, says it has confirmation that the G Watch will come out in June for 199 euros (around $199) -- if true, that's a hundred bucks less Samsung's Gear 2.
LG's upcoming G Watch will be water resistant and 'always on'
LG's official site has just spilled a few extra tidbits about the G Watch, which is due out in the summer and will be based on Google's Android Wear platform. For a start, there'll be two color options: "stealth black" or "champagne gold," both with plain rubbery straps and slab-like faces that are meant to look "timeless." Fortunately, though, the G Watch will have the time written all over it during actual use, because LG is promising that the screen will never go to sleep -- unlike Samsung's Gear 2, where you have to wake up the display with a movement of your arm. One last important detail is a confirmation that the device will be water- and dust-resistant -- something that, strangely, still can't be taken for granted in the smartwatch market.
