By 
Earlier today, Google posted four new Android Wear commercials on YouTube showing how Google’s wearable platform has everything you need at just glance away. One of the videos dubbed ‘Surf’s up at a glance’ and embedded below, shows Android Wear’s destination card, giving the surfers traffic information so that they arrive on time. The LG G Watch used in the video lets the wearer know that there’s light traffic on I-101 North, so they have time to “go for one more.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNJPSsiu1FQ
The video ends as the two surfers excitedly headed towards the ocean with their boards. Given the title and the context of the video, one would assume that the surfer won’t be taking off his LG G Watch before he heads into the green room. However, according to LG’s official manual, he should do just that. LG says their smartwatch shouldn’t be used in salt water and it shouldn’t be worn while swimming. Now, I’ve never been surfing, but I’m fairly certain that swimming in the ocean plays a fairly large role in the sport.
This doesn’t mean the G Watch isn’t water resistant. The G Watch sports an IP67 rating, meaning complete protection of dust and protection against temporary water immersion between 15 centimeters and 1 meter for 30 minutes. LG just doesn’t recommend swimming in the ocean. Salt water can reek havoc on all sorts of electronics and if you’re swimming, there’s a good chance your watch will be at a depth greater than 1 meter from time to time. Feel free to wear your smartwatch in the shower or in the rain though.
Gnarly.
Pointless article
How so? Google depicts using a product clearly in a way that the manufacturer frowns upon. I hope that this saves someone from destroying their watch.
> I hope that this saves someone from destroying their watch.
That’s incredibly narcissistic. Yes, if it weren’t for this article, someone most certainly will destroy their watch. You’re correct.
LG says what they say because we are a litigious society. They are saying you are at your own risk if you go deeper.
I wonder where they get the O-Rings that magically fail at 1 meter exactly, every time.
Jeez, give the guy a break. You’d criticize him for not making the article if you had one too. There’s no way he can win with you people.
He’s just trying to be good guy Greg (Derek)
Except the entire premise of the article is based on an assumption (that the guy took the watch in the water).
I fail to see your point. You’re not gonna go surfing and leave your watch on the beach.
It’s exactly what the video implies. Think about the hundreds of thousands of people who watch it and associate surfing + LG G Watch = must be completely waterproof.
Obviously this wasn’t Google’s intention in the ad spot (it never actually shows the person surfing), but Derek’s post was more a PSA than anything. Just in case someone didn’t happen to read the user manual after seeing this ad.
In what way is anything in that sentence narcissistic? You could possibly argue that it is condescending although I don’t think it is.
…
It’s not magic, it’s water pressure. The further you go down, the higher the water pressure. And there isn’t a hard rule saying at .9 meters you’re fine, but at 1 meter and below you’re screwed. It’s a guesstimate, a range.
Narcissistic?
It’s called mechanical design. O-ring durometer, diameter, etc.
I can see that at no point does Google show the old man wearing the watch or any watch. I don’t think that Google is suggesting that we go surfing with a long sleeve shirt on either. But again, all that is being assumed by the writer; and you know what happens when you assume.
Agreed, the entire article is based on assumption.
This should be on buzzfeed.
It’s no different than car commercials where they’re zipping around like a pro driver and then at the bottom you see the disclaimer “Professional driver on a closed course. Do not attempt.”
Most people don’t go racing towards the water, then stop, turn around, go back to their stuff and remove their watch. It may be an assumption, but it’s based on common sense. But maybe that’s the problem, common sense is so rare anymore it might as well be a super power.
surfing is explicitly what I want a smart watch for, though it would need its own cell connection.
Is it possible to strap a cellphone to your side or arm in a ziplock bag of some sort?
Oh yeah, it would be. I’ve seen the stand up paddleboard guys keep phones in backpacks, but then you have to get it out, NOT drop it :p , etc.. Hard to find a good spot to keep it on you without damaging it with the board, short pockets dont work. Would have to be a wetsuit jacket top or something and who wants that in the summer :) Arm would work, but that holster better be trustworthy (and may look a bit douchy :p)!
Sony says the same thing about using their waterproof phones in the sea, but I know a lot of people who bought Sony phones for exactly that purpose…