BERLIN -- The newly announced LG G Watch R is on display at the IFA 2014 tech conference in Berlin this week, and it’s as easy on the hands as it is on the eyes.
Mashable was able to get a little hands-on time with the device at the show and was most impressed by its design -- in fact, it’s the most attractive smartwatch we’ve seen to date, thanks largely to its beautiful circular screen. The G Watch R is even a cut above the Motorola Moto 360 as its display is a perfect circle (the Moto 360 has a chunk cut off to accommodate a sensor), although its bezel is a tad thicker.
While most smartwatches on the market are square or rectangular -- and look more like a small computer than a traditional round-shaped watch -- LG’s iteration is a refreshing, fashion-forward change.
The 1.3-inch circular Plastic OLED (P-OLED) screen produces stunning, crisp images and makes it easy to read notifications for emails, calendar alerts and other content. It runs Google’s Android Wear platform, just like LG’s first smartwatch -- the G Watch -- which launched in late June.
The device is fast, too, with the help of a 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 processor, and is light on the wrist, much more so than oversized Samsung’s Gear S smartwatch (also on display at the conference). The LG G Watch R also comes with a beautiful leather strap made of calfskin, although buyers will have other strap options when they buy.
The touchscreen is relatively responsive -- again, more so than the Samsung Gear S -- but it still has its hiccups; there were times the display lagged when swiping a finger to move from one notification page to another. It also needs to be wirelessly tethered to a smartphone, unlike the Gear S that has built-in 3G and works on its own.
We weren’t able to test the voice-command features -- you’ll be able to ask the device for GPS directions, the weather or news headlines (via Google Now) -- but overall, the G Watch R is what a smartwatch should look and feel like. Or at least it’s getting closer.
We’ll have a full review of the LG G Watch R when it ships later this year.