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Many expect the Apple Watch to claim the crown of best looking smart watch once it finally launches, but LG’s latest design gives us reason to argue. This is the LG Watch Urbane, an all-metal smart watch meant to look more luxurious than sporty.
It features a circular design, comes clad in gold or silver color options, and has a neat-looking dial on the side. Looking at the LG Watch Urbane’s functional specs up against the LG G Watch R, the two are somewhat identical:
- Chipset: 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon™ 400
- Operating System: Android Wear™
- Display: 1.3-inch P-OLED Display (320 x 320, 245ppi)
- Size: 45.5 x 52.2 x 10.9mm
- Memory: 4GB eMMC / 512MB LPDDR2
- Battery: 410mAh
- Sensors: 9-Axis (Gyro / Accelerometer / Compass) / Barometer / PPG (Heart Rate Sensor)
- Colors: Gold / Silver
- Other: Dust and Water Resistant (IP67)
But one looks more appropriate to wear at a formal event (or for any event, really) while the other has plenty of appeal for the sporty types out there. The standard watch band is genuine leather, and should you feel the need to switch it out you’ll be happy to know that the design supports native installation of any 22mm band.
Beyond that, there’s not much else making it stand out. It’s another smart watch, it runs Android Wear, it looks beautiful, and LG is bringing it to Mobile World Congress. We’ll be there to get a look for ourselves. Unfortunately we don’t know when you’ll be able to do the same as LG had nothing to share in terms of pricing and availability.
it does not look like android wear
But it is Android Wear. They just show it with a custom watch face in the renders. ¯_(ツ)_/¯
Thought that was a benefit of android that it’s soooo customisable blah blah blah zZzZzZzZ
Good comment – but I bet you’re an Apple Fag!
The lack of an OLED screen is about the only thing keeping me away from the Moto 360. It should be the only choice for a watch. Can’t wait to see more!
I agree…. a smart watch should have an OLED screen. Think of the power savings you would have if you just had the time in white (in a digital format) on a black background?
Looks elegant and I want one…
What the hell is “a neat-looking dial on the side”
Digital Crown – LOL!
*Deleted
It definitely has a screen. This is just a press render, a photoshop.
Yeah, I figured that when I read the article properly and saw the display specification. I think it’s easy to make a watch look beautiful for a non-functioning prototype but bet it doesn’t look have as good when using the display to show that watch face.
I like that it’s all metal. But I still prefer my semi metal 360. Once I see a metal bracelet on these I’ll reconsider.
It’d be good to know their plating process to know the durability of those colors. For the time being my 360 has stood the test of field work, so I expect the same from LG.
Nice, but bulky looking. More of a low profile guy.
Have you looked at “normal” watches recently? They are ALL huge. It must the “in thing” I am guessing.
Yes, I recently took a look at JCPenny and even the top line watches are super bulky. Not a fan of the fashion watches currently have going on.
no watch out there yet with all the desired specs? I hope the 2nd gen of android wear has a more complete watch.
GPS
WiFI
Heart rate meter
larger battery and storage
waterproof
The sony smartwatch 3 comes closest but is missing the HR. The rest of the field is missing wifi and gps.
Sounds like you want to strap a smartphone in a watertight pouch to your arm. Yeah, that will look really, really cool!
more storage wouldn’t take up any more physical space. 8gb would be a minimum for me. You can cache up some of your playlists from google music or spotify nicely enough. This LG watch could reduce some of the bulk and easily add in GPS and wifi and a slightly larger battery easily.
In turn, Sony could added just a tad more bulk just to add the HR sensor and a slightly larger battery as well. It wouldn’t make it anywhere near the size of the Samsung phone/watch or the Neptune watch.
That’s what I said… you basically want to carry a water resistant smart phone on your wrist. The question is, why don’t you?
If they made one that fits inside the shell of a moto 360 I would wear one, but they don’t, but I know that they can.
If you know that they can, but they don’t, that’s a business opportunity for you. Start a campaign on Kickstarter and show the big companies how it’s being done! You are such a smart guy, after all. :-)
I KNOW they can, I KNOW I can’t because I’m not a smart ENOUGH guy, but that’s okay, i’m smart enough to hold out for what I want. All I can do is voice my feedback and hopefully one of the companies out there will listen.
Ah, so you are completely clueless about how this works but you know that “they can”. Now that’s some solid self-confidence, there! Your parents did a good job. :-)
Yes…they absolutely can :). if you don’t think they can then you’re clueless yourself but if you say they won’t because of business reasons then you’re probably correct.
what are u storing on ur watch? Pictures and videos?
Music. Caching a few Google play playlists already takes up a good chunk on the phone. I could manage it in a different way but caching playlists you’ve already created on your phone is a nice feature. It saves the trouble of having to create new ones.
and play the music on what?
Android wear supports offline music playback and support with Bluetooth headphones.
Nope. He didn’t say he wanted a watch with a mobile radio. I never got the impression Michael wanted a smartphone “in a watertight pouch” on his arm… where did you get that from?
I happen to agree with Michael. Having GPS and WiFI would greatly help alleviate your phone (google play services) being pinged to death for location data. If I had larger storage, GPS, and WiFi on a smartwatch, I could leave my phone at home when I go out for a hike/jog. And who wouldn’t want a higher capacity battery? I almost bought the SW3 just because of its high number of specs.
so, complain about battery life then request wifi radios and GPS radios in the same device that u want multiple day use out of? You dont really believe u can add these 2 radios and a bigger battery and not make the device larger do u? How often would you be around wifi and not have ur phone around? Would there be a real advantage to wifi in a watch? I can understand the GPS radios this makes more sense. Its a watch people!!! It tells time and has some smart features assisted by a cell phone.
Whoa, now.
I never complained.
I never requested.
I never said I wanted multiple days’ use.
I never said I didn’t want the device larger/smaller.
Let’s just clam down now and re-read my comment you just replied to… or did you mean to reply to Michael Tran?
u backed his statement so it appeared u were agreeing. some if not most of the counters i listed were drawbacks to the request for added radios and so forth not me stating that you requested those in particular but you did say u wanted more battery capacity so either u want longer on time or more juice for wifi radios and GPS.
Battery life will always be a major drawback to any device that uses one. I think it is unrealistic to want a watch that would run without a charge for more than a day or two.
That being said, even you agree a GPS radio would make sense in a smartwatch. A GPS radio could be the most battery-consuming among any radio available. So, what would it matter if it also had a WiFi radio for occasional data uploads or downloads?
The Sony Smartwatch 3 has three radios (Bluetooth, WiFI, and GPS). Depending on how you utilize it, reviewers have said it still has top battery life compared to other brands/models.
It is possible to have a high quality, spec-rich watch with above average performance. Of course, you are going to pay over $200 for a device like that. In my opinion, it would be worth every penny.
More battery is always a welcome addition. Say the [insert your preferred smartwatch here] increased its battery capacity by 30%, and therefore an extra 12 to 18 hours. Would you really care if it grew 1 to 2 mm thick and 2 to 4 mm wide? Smartwatches are already large compared to traditional watches. I’d be okay with it.
at the moment im good with the moto 360. when they are able to provide the things without huge drawbacks i will def be interested. my complaint is the responsiveness of the 360. its not terrible but could def be improved and it would change the overall experience a lot. the heart rate sensor, to me, is more useful than the other radios but thats just my opinion. I use it as a watch primarily, and a companion to my moto X 2014 for added smart features.
Sony watch 3 already has GPS and WiFi. It’s just missing the heart sensor. When I say larger battery it doesn’t have to be massively larger but just a little more to compensate for the future use of WiFi. Granted it would be a bit bigger but I’m saying they could sacrifice some of the aesthetics. It seems that Google had the intentions of supporting such devices since the support is built into android wear. It’s just up to one of the companies to make one. Right now Sony is the closest. Actually Motorola was there first with the motoactv. It had 16gb storage GPS, WiFi Bluetooth and a 3.5mm headphone jack but it to was missing a heart rate meter. Too bad Motorola gave up on it. Granted it wasn’t the prettiest of watches but it was by no means humongous.
I must say that is one unattractive watch. Looks quite cheap up close. Reminds me of those watches in Walmart that sell for about $10 that try to look like something they’re not. And work on the Battery Geez!!! Its like smartphones all over again. Concentrating on “looks” and not focusing on it being a watch and the fact that I shouldn’t have to charge it up every day or 2!!! Sorry for the rant.
You’re forgiven… however I think it looks quite nice. To each his own I guess. :)
I completely agree with your statement – this design of this watch is not befitting of a high end watch, in my opinion.
We SURE it runs Android wear?? LG has been toying with WebOS right?
Are these the specs that were leaked by LG or are we “assuming” it’s running wear?
P.S. I hope it is. Just a question is all…
Nice watch for a guy. The one thing Apple will have going for it is a size for us women. While I got a Moto, and a friend got a Samsung, I have hordes of friends drooling over the Apple watch’s size and wishing there were smaller options for Android.
Well, when your friends hear what I just heard about the Apple Watch, or experience it first hand, they won’t be drooling any longer.
Please, do tell :)
that smaller size is gonna make it even more difficult to use the touch screen
When will these companies get Smart and partner with a watch company? Not one single smart watch on the market actually looks good.
I love the Moto 360 and think it looks fantastic. So does pretty much everyone I encounter on a daily basis, who sees it on my wrist whether I know them or not. So clearly, your opinion is not held by everyone.
As compared to what? Put it next to a Citizen or even an Invicta and it looks ugly, not to mention very feminine.
It doesn’t have to be compared to anything. Its gorgeous how its intended to be….ON MY WRIST… Because, you know, very few people walk around with “a Citizen or even an Invicta,” and a Moto 360 all strapped to their wrist, next to each other, at the same time. Bottom line is, People I know and complete strangers compliment me MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY, EVERY SINGLE DAY since I got my Moto 360 about how great it looks, and they have no clue that it’s anything more than a regular watch. Then when they find out it’s a smart watch, they are even more in awe. And your predetermined hate for its aesthetics will never change that fact.
I disagree
replace the strap on a Zenwatch and it makes a world of difference in the aesthetic. It’s now my go to in my watch collection and its the only smartwatch.
I too went with the zenwatch. I played around with a few to include a few different samsung watches and the moto 360, but the zenwatch just seemed like the most elegant and least tacky/bulky. I love it and have worn it every day even though I have 2 tradition watches. I have been considering a steel strap, but I do enjoy the stock leather strap. Will probably use the steel one for a more formal setting.
Battery life probably still sucks just like other android wear watches
Could be worse. Could be a apple watch. Not even released yet but everyone already knows the battery is less than a day thanks to apple’s press release. Watch it still sell millions cause its Apple.
Do you have one? Didnt think so. I have a G Watch R (Hate the name) and I find my battery lasts over two days.
Shut up and take my money! Lol
Yes, I just did that. I’m not even sorry. I do want this watch…. Until I see it in person and realize it looks like crap on me.
The LG GwatchR is also all metal and looks nearly identical to this except for the omission of minute markers on the dial/bezel.
LOL. I just don’t see it.
Round watches are great for displaying gauges and meters such as analog clock faces. However, a smart watch needs to be rectangular to display digital, textual and graphical information such as emails, SMS messages, notifications, etc. And round watches suck at that. If you want a good-looking, round watch, get a conventional watch. Smart watches should be rectangular.
Well Apple watch is for you :P
Kidding :)
That’s exactly the kind of thinking that let Moto handily outsell their competition.
ASUS Zenwatch!
Oops… did Apple just say all the health stuff is gone from their watch because it didn’t work? Wait… that calls for a “I told you so!” moment. If Apple can’t make it work…
I still prefer my Pebble Steel. Looks as nice, can handle Android Wear notifications, and has 7 day battery life. Plus can act as a fitness band.