The latest Android Wear smartwatches are available to order from the Google Play store, with offerings available from LG and Samsung.
The LG G Watch will set you back £159, while punters looking to get Samsung’s latest device – the Samsung Gear Live – can expect to pay slightly more at £169.
The LG G Watch comes with 4GB of RAM, a 1.6-inch TFT screen and a 400mAh battery that promises to power the device for 36 hours before needing to be charged. Meanwhile, Samsung’s shiny new smartwatch comes with a vivid, 261dpi AMOLED display, a 1.2GHz ARM CPU and a slightly anaemic 300mAh battery that only lasts for a day before giving up. Samsung’s offering is also IP67 dust and water resistant, and can even be worn in the shower, so there really is no escape from Google Now.
The Android Wear platform requires devices be paired with a compatible smartphone. Right now, this excludes any device that isn’t running a modern version of Android – 4.3 and above. There’s no word on when – or if – iOS, Windows Phone or Android compatible Blackberry 10 devices will eventually support devices running Android Wear, but it would dramatically increase the reach of this initial smartwatch crop.
Presently LG’s G Watch and Sammy’s Gear Live are only one half of the Android Wear story as they both sport square displays. Arguably the more attractive and distinctive design comes from Motorola, which is working on the first circular display-laden Android Wear device in the form of the Moto 360. Unfortunately at Google I/O, all we were given was a general summer launch for this third member of the gang.
Android Wear promises to be a companion to Android based smartphones, allowing consumers to send messages, manage a calendar and find Information without touching your phone.
Google promises that all pre-orders will ship from its warehouse on July 7th and will arrive between 2 to 5 days later. Would you buy one?
-Matthew Hughes
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