Smartwatches

LG G Watch R review: Second time's a charm

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Gizmag reviews one of the three fashion-meets-function champions of 2014, the LG G Watch R (Photo: Will Shanklin/Gizmag.com)
The G Watch R has a 1.3-in, fully-round display (Photo: Will Shanklin/Gizmag.com)
The markings on the G Watch R's bezel draw inspiration from classic diving watches (Photo: Will Shanklin/Gizmag.com)
Like the Moto 360, the G Watch R has a button on its right side: short-press for home, long-press for settings (Photo: Will Shanklin/Gizmag.com)
The G Watch R's leather band (Photo: Will Shanklin/Gizmag.com)
The G Watch R's screen has 320 x 320 resolution, at 246 pixels per inch (Photo: Will Shanklin/Gizmag.com)
The G Watch R is the most expensive Android Wear watch to date, at US$300 (Photo: Will Shanklin/Gizmag.com)
The LG G Watch R is available now (Photo: Will Shanklin/Gizmag.com)
At 62 g (2.19-oz), the G Watch R is light for its size (Photo: Will Shanklin/Gizmag.com)
Android Wear OEMs are starting to hit the balance between fashion and function (Photo: Will Shanklin/Gizmag.com)
Back of the G Watch R's default band (Photo: Will Shanklin/Gizmag.com)
The G Watch R doesn't stick up as far off your wrist as the Moto 360 does (Photo: Will Shanklin/Gizmag.com)
Tapping the G Watch R (Photo: Will Shanklin/Gizmag.com)
The G Watch R is only sold in black (Photo: Will Shanklin/Gizmag.com)
The G Watch R's round display and diver watch bezel (Photo: Will Shanklin/Gizmag.com)
Google Now voice search on the G Watch R (Photo: Will Shanklin/Gizmag.com)
Side view of the G Watch R (Photo: Will Shanklin/Gizmag.com)
Gizmag reviews one of the three fashion-meets-function champions of 2014, the LG G Watch R (Photo: Will Shanklin/Gizmag.com)
No Android Wear watches are great in direct sunlight, but the G Watch R's bright display helps (Photo: Will Shanklin/Gizmag.com)
The G Watch R is one of the thinner smartwatches around, at 9.7 mm (0.38-in) thick (Photo: Will Shanklin/Gizmag.com)
Moto 360 (left) with the G Watch R (Photo: Will Shanklin/Gizmag.com)
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We recently took a look at two of the most stylish smartwatches around, the Moto 360 and Asus ZenWatch, but there's one more to add to that list. Read on, as we review LG's second stab at Android Wear, the round-faced G Watch R.

The G Watch R is a smartwatch with a very specific design theme. Like the Moto 360, it has a round display, but here that screen is surrounded by a large bezel with clock markings. It looks like LG was mimicking classic diving watches, like the Rolex Submariner.

The G Watch R's round display and diver watch bezel (Photo: Will Shanklin/Gizmag.com)

That body is made of black stainless steel, and ships with a matching black leather band (if you don't like it, you can swap it with any standard 22 mm strap). Watch and band both feel high-end, light and comfortable on my wrist. And at 9.7 mm (0.38-in) thick, the G Watch R is one of the thinner smartwatches we've seen.

Though the Moto 360's screen is almost round, the G Watch R is the first Android Wear watch with a fully circular display (the Moto's has a small sliver cut out at the bottom). The G Watch's screen isn't the biggest, but it looks great. And some of LG's clock faces, which complement the diver face, help to unify hardware and software.

Moto 360 (left) with the G Watch R (Photo: Will Shanklin/Gizmag.com)

The round display is also fairly sharp (246 pixels per inch), and appears to gets brighter than other Wear watches (it gives you six brightness levels to choose from, and all but "1" are pretty bright).

The G Watch R's software is exactly what you'll find on other Android Wear watches, and LG didn't add any companion apps with unique add-ons (like Motorola and Asus did). If you aren't already acquainted with what Wear watches can do, you can hit up Gizmag's Android Wear review from earlier this year.

The G Watch R is one of the thinner smartwatches around, at 9.7 mm (0.38-in) thick (Photo: Will Shanklin/Gizmag.com)

Battery life is good: better than the Moto 360, but not quite as long-lasting as the ZenWatch.

With brightness set to "2" or "3," with typical use and always-on display, mine dropped between 5-6 percent per hour. With the always-on setting off (which pretty much kills its aesthetic), it only dipped around 3-4 percent per hour. For appearance's sake, I'd recommend using the always-on clock face and charging every night, but either way you're good to go: this is an all-day watch with room to spare.

Like most big-ticket smartwatches, the G Watch R gives you IP67 water resistance. Though it may look like a diver's watch, you won't want to take it diving in anything deeper than a 3-ft. kiddie pool.

If smartwatches ever really take off, we might eventually have hundreds of Android Wear watches to choose from – all running the same software, and only differentiated by design. But this holiday season, we're left with just three that hit a sweet spot between tech and fashion: the Moto 360, Asus ZenWatch and the G Watch R.

The G Watch R is worth a look next to its two peers. The diving watch design is going to be a little love-it-or-hate-it but, after the original gadgety-looking G Watch (no "R" because it wasn't round), the G Watch R is a big step in the right direction for LG. This is a classy-looking timepiece with good battery life, the best smartwatch software available today, and no yellow or red flags to watch out for.

The G Watch R is the most expensive Android Wear watch to date, at US$300 (Photo: Will Shanklin/Gizmag.com)

One of the biggest advantages for the other two is the G Watch R's price. At US$300, it costs $50 more than the Moto 360 and $100 more than the ZenWatch. You could make a strong argument for any of them as the best smartwatch you can buy today, so it's simply going to come down to how much you fancy that unique design and fully-round screen.

The LG G Watch R is available now for $300. For a closer look at its design, you can hit up our image gallery.

Product page: LG

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3 comments
Robert McClellan
Will, you mentioned in the Zenwatch review it is your favorite smart watch, after reviewing the LG R, do you stick by that comment?
[Will Shanklin responds: That's a great question, and one I'm still asking myself. I probably did jump the gun in declaring the ZenWatch my favorite of the year, because the G Watch R is right up there too. Ultimately, though, we throw in "bests" and "favorites" just to accentuate our impressions. Our job is to help you find your favorite. And if the individual reviews haven't been enough to do that, then maybe we'll look at doing a hands-on comparison between these two!]
Paul Szilard
I got a Watch R last week. I find visibility under outdoors light very difficult. This would be the same for most watches that need active illumination, I guess. I also have a Pebble Steel and a Sony Smartwatch 2, both of which are very usable in sunlight.
The R looks great in lowish light, but I am yet to be convinced that it makes a viable alternative for an always wear watch.
Would be interested to hear how the reviewer finds this and other similar watches, in general daytime use, especially when out side.
Kavan Lyles
Thanks for the review, I have a couple of question about the watch. I heard the band is like card board so is the band exchangeable? Can the dial be removed and exchanged for a more stylish one and if it could what's the size of the dial?