LG has announced this evening that its all-metal Watch Urbane will be available later this month on the Google Store in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States. In Korea, the device will be available this week with the other countries following.
Pricing remains a mystery for the Watch Urbane, as LG says we’ll have to wait for local markets to announce that specific info. The watch is expected to be marketed as a premium device, however, which means it could be more expensive than other current Android Wear offerings.
As far as specs go, the LG Watch Urbane features a 1.3-inch Plastic OLED display with an all-metal design. It’s powered by a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor and has a 410mAh battery. The LG Watch Urbane is identical to the G Watch R in every way except design.
It’s important to remember that the Watch Urbane will be the first Android Wear device to ship with the recently announced features, including WiFi support, always-on apps, wrist gestures, and more.
Again, the Watch Urbane will be available on the Google Store by the end of this month. The company’s full press release can be seen below, as can our hands-on with the device:
PREMIUM LG WATCH URBANE FIRST NEW
ANDROID WEAR DEVICE TO FEATURE LATEST OS
Elegantly Designed Smartwatch Rolls Out Worldwide
With Latest Technology and Performance
SEOUL, Apr. 23, 2015 ― LG Electronics (LG) will begin the global rollout of its premium LG Watch Urbane this week in South Korea to be followed by key markets in North America, Europe and Asia in the weeks to come. Customers in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States will be able to purchase the LG Watch Urbane on Google Store starting this month.
At MWC 2015, the LG Watch Urbane received numerous awards and accolades from consumers, media and industry thought leaders for its modern design, full-circle Plastic OLED (P-OLED) display and overall usefulness. The LG Watch Urbane carries over the 1.3-inch P-OLED display from the LG G Watch R but features a less prominent and lower profile bezel. Its dimensions are smaller overall and thinner, without reducing the size of the display or the battery.
Responding to consumers’ desire for style as well as function, the LG Watch Urbane has a full metal body with a stitched genuine leather strap. The stainless steel body is available in a luxurious polished rose gold and silver, accentuated further with a narrow bezel that gives the device the sleek lines of a classic timepiece. Unlike many other competing smartwatches, the band can be exchanged with any replacement 22mm leather, silicone or metal strap for the ultimate in convenience and personalization.
LG Watch Urbane is the first new smartwatch powered by the latest version of Android Wear which works seamlessly with smartphones running Android 4.3 and above. Some of the features available for the first time on any Android Wear device include Wi-Fi connectivity, always-on apps to keep the display from going dark when running, navigating or even grocery shopping and an improved UX that makes launching favorite apps and getting in touch with friends easier than ever before with everything now front-and-center.
The latest OS allows users to send emojis by drawing them directly on the LG Watch Urbane. Draw a smiley face, a clock showing a certain time or any other pictures and Android Wear will match your drawing to the closest Unicode emoji for sending to another Android Wear watch, smartphone, or computer. Other improvements include the ability to change the font size and see notifications even when looking at another function on the display, such as directions. What’s more, the screen on the LG Watch Urbane can now be set to lock automatically when it is removed from the wrist.
Included in LG Watch Urbane are two new and useful features not available on other Android Wear devices: LG Call and LG Pulse. LG Call allows the wearer to access recent calls and the favorite contacts list on the connected smartphone to dial out directly from the watch. When connected to a Bluetooth headset, there is no need to remove the phone from one’s pocket to place a call. And LG Pulse takes health monitoring to a whole new level by measuring the wearer’s heart rate every second during exercise with no maximum time limit. At the end of the activity, LG Pulse will report the average heart rate over the entire duration of the activity and display a heart rate graph on LG Health (coming soon).
“The LG Watch Urbane is the third Android Wear device introduced by LG in the past year which demonstrates our commitment to this platform,” said Juno Cho, president and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “More importantly, LG Watch Urbane is a perfect example that Android Wear watches can be functional and beautiful and a useful accessory that complements any wardrobe. No one would mistake LG Watch Urbane for a computer on your wrist.”
Price and additional purchase details will be announced locally at the time of availability.
Key Specifications:
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)
Color: Rose Gold / Silver
Other: Dust and Water Resistance (IP67)
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About LG Electronics, Inc.
LG Electronics, Inc. (KSE: 066570.KS) is a global leader and technology innovator in consumer electronics, mobile communications and home appliances, employing 83,000 people working in 128 locations around the world. With 2014 global sales of USD 55.91 billion (KRW 59.04 trillion), LG comprises four business units ― Home Entertainment, Mobile Communications, Home Appliance & Air Solution, and Vehicle Components ― and is one of the world’s leading producers of flat panel TVs, mobile devices, air conditioners, washing machines and refrigerators. LG Electronics is a 2014 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year. For more news and information on LG Electronics, please visit www.LGnewsroom.com.
About LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company
LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company is a global leader and trend setter in the mobile and wearable industry with breakthrough technologies and innovative designs. By continually developing highly competitive core technologies in the areas of display, battery, camera optics and LTE technology, LG creates handsets and wearables that fit the lifestyles of a wide range of people all over the world. While helping to enhance the mobile user experience by incorporating unique, sophisticated designs and intuitive UX features, LG is also committed to guiding consumers into the era of convergence and Internet of Things, maximizing inter-device connectivity between a wide range of smartphones, tablets, wearables, home and portable electronics products. For more information, please visit www.LG.com.
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