Also known as W100 Type Smartwatch | Developer LG Electronics | |
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Release date June 25, 2014 (2014-06-25) Operating system System-on-chip used Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 MSM8026 | ||
The LG G Watch (model W100, codenamed Dory) is an Android Wear-based smartwatch announced and released by LG and Google on June 25, 2014. It was released along with the Samsung Gear Live as launch devices for Android Wear, a modified version of Android designed specifically for smartwatches and other wearables. It is compatible with all smartphones running Android 4.3 or higher that support Bluetooth LE.
Contents
G Watch is, as of June 2014, only available in the United States and Canada at US$229 or in the United Kingdom for £159 on the Google Play Store. As of July 2014 the G Watch was also made available in Australia, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, South Korea, and Spain.
The G Watch R is a variant featuring a round face and an OLED screen.
Hardware
The G Watch has IP67 certification for dust and water resistance. It has a user-replaceable buckle-based strap. The watch has no buttons. It uses an always-on rectangular shaped display.
Software
The G Watch runs Android Wear, which features a notification system based on Google Now technology that enables it to receive spoken commands from the user. Users may also install the open-source AsteroidOS.
Reception
JR Raphael of Computerworld liked the LG G Watch's superior dimmed-mode display, comfortable band, and easy-to-use charging cradle, but did not like the uninspired design and poor outdoor visibility display compared to Samsung Gear Live.