Android Wear 2.0 went official following Google I/O and as we learn everything it’s capable of, we’re also finding out who will and will not get it. Just like with previous updates, just about everyone will be getting it, but this time around Google is dropping two models, the original LG G Watch and the 1st generation Moto 360.
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Toshiba Canvio Connect II 3TB Portable USB 3.0 Hard Drive $100 shipped (Orig. $170)
With so many companies having recently announced their new generations of Android Wear watches, there’s never been a better (or cheaper) time to try out the platform. There were many risks with trying it out before. First off, Android Wear watches weren’t that cheap. For a sibling platform with limited performance, it was a lot of money to gamble on a wrist gadget you might hate. Those same watches are now last generation, and with that, they’re much cheaper and give you an easier access point to Android Wear. Perhaps more importantly, the OS itself has come on leaps and bounds since its introduction. Now you can get a great Android Wear experience without having to fork out a ton of cash…
Woot offers the LG G Watch Android Wear smartwatch in black for $69.99 with $5 shipping, which is well below its list price of $229. This model was initially surpassed by the LG G Watch R and, more recently, by the top-of-the-line LG Watch Urbane — which ships at prices above $300. So if you’re not completely sure about jumping into the smartwatch world, the G Watch for just $75 might be a good option.
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The Apple Watch was once again shown off at Apple’s “Spring Forward” event on Monday, and many have been left wondering how the device compares to the Android Wear devices currently on the market. Technology has surely evolved a bit since the G Watch was announced, but how much have things changed?
There are several differences between the two platforms, but one that has now been brought to light is the device’s physical dimensions. Looking at Apple’s renders and images makes the device look big, but comparing its actual dimensions to Android Wear devices does the opposite. It’s tiny compared to most of what’s available today.
Android Lollipop was finally unveiled in its full form yesterday, and that shifts attention to Google’s next big Android release: Android Wear 2.0. We don’t really have any factual idea when this software might or might not be landing, but a new post from Artem Russakovskii on Google+ says that one of his sources thinks the day will be November 3rd—which would push it to arrive right around the same time as Lollipop. No one really knows at this point what the update is going to be bringing, but being released alongside another Android release, we can assume that there will be at least a couple notable features.
Mountain View’s wearable platform officially received some competition from the folks in Cupertino today and in what appears a coincidence, one of the most popular Android Wear-powered smartwatches on the market has received a temporary price cut. Google Play has shaved $50 off the LG G Watch’s asking price, bringing the high-tech wristwatch down to $180.
Google is offering a new bundle through Google Play in some countries that offers a discounted price for customers that purchase both a Nexus 5 and LG G Watch. Discounts vary with local currencies, but discounts general range from $100 in Australia to £60 in the UK.
We reached out to Google to find out where exactly the deal is available, and it offered up a full list of countries: GB, IE, FR, DE, AU, KR, JP.
You can head over to Google Play now if you’re in a participating country to take advantage of the deal.
LG recently unveiled its latest smartwatch, the G Watch R. This is the first Android Wear device with a full circle display, because as some of you may know, the Moto 360 has a “flat tire” due to the sensors located at the bottom side of the face. The good news is, the G Watch R is just as premium as the Moto 360, and in my opinion, possibly better…
If you’re in the market to grab an Android Wear device, you might be interested in hearing that Best Buy just slashed $50 off the price of the LG G Watch, an Android Wear device that was officially released just a little over 2 months ago. This means that while Google is still selling the device at the launch price of $229.99, you can grab the watch at Best Buy’s website for a cool $179.99. It seems as if both the black and white models are still in stock at the time of this writing.
LG is going to announce a round smartwatch next week during IFA in Berlin and to keep its hype train chugging along, the company has shared a new teaser image of its next timepiece on its Facebook page. Captioned with the tagline “smart comes full circle,” the photo shows a shadowy image of what looks like a round watch face that almost looks metallic.
Rumors have been swirling for the last few weeks that LG was prepping to unveil the second generation G Watch at IFA, but most accepted that this was preposterous given how we’re only a couple of months into the first version’s existence. But it appears that while LG probably doesn’t have a second generation square watch ready to be unveiled next week, they do have a round watch to show us that will conveniently steal much of the Moto 360’s spotlight.
Samsung and Apple will largely own the smartwatch market between them, predicts Jackdaw Research chief analyst Jan Dawson in a report being issued later today and seen by Re/code.
Dawson said that new players should “stay out of the market,” and existing players should scale back their plans.
“We do not recommend that existing vendors should maintain current levels of investment when market growth and the overall revenue opportunity remain poor,” Dawson said. “It is unlikely that more than one or two small vendors will be able to make a sustainable business out of smartwatches in the face of competition from Samsung and […] Apple” …
Did you buy an LG G Watch and somehow managed to break or lose its charger? If so, your rescue ship has just pulled into Google Play. Whether you need a reserve or replacement charging cradle for LG’s new Android Wear-powered timepiece, Mountain View’s got you covered for $20.
When Android Wear was first announced, I was very impressed. Aside from Google Glass, Android Wear and its associated devices is Google’s first major step into the wearables market for consumers. Let’s be honest, Glass came around a bit too early and it’s definitely not ready for mass consumption.
LG, Samsung, and Motorola jumped on the Android Wear train and so far, we’ve seen a couple of different smartwatches hit the market. The G Watch and Gear Live are our first Android Wear devices and I’ve been getting to know them over the past few weeks. This my experience…
via <a href="http://www.technobuffalo.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Screen-Shot-2014-07-27-at-11.36.46.jpg">TecnoBuffalo</a>
Pioneering the Android Wear platform, the LG G Watch and Samsung Gear Live have been met with mixed reviews as of yet. Most thoughts on the smartwatches have been about Android Wear as an operating system, but little has been said about either device’s actual hardware. It appears, though, that some thoughts are now coming out about the LG G Watch, and it doesn’t look so good.
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Wouldn’t it be cool if you could tell your watch to change the temperature, turn on/off lights, or perform various tasks on your computer? Well, thanks to Android Wear and some third party services, you can transform existing smart devices around your house into fully automated tasks using a device like the Samsung Gear Live, Moto 360, or LG G Watch.
The process will slightly vary between different Android devices and “smart” devices in your house, but we’ve put together the groundwork necessary so that you can build on these ideas in your own home. The setup procedure is a bit more than some people would like to go through, but in the end saying simple commands from a smartwatch to control things in your house is absolutely worth it.
The Minuum keyboard has already been announced to be in development for the Moto 360, but today the company demoed its keyboard actually running on another Android Wear device — the LG G Watch. Last time we only got a concept, but now we have a real-time video demo of a slick — albeit (intentionally?) cramped — keyboard running on Android Wear. And Minuum says they’re ready to send out its earliest release.
We already knew that the LG G3 was on its way to Verizon and today the carrier has made it official. Big Red is now accepting pre-orders for LG’s flagship smartphone and will begin selling the device at its retail locations on July 17th for $100 on a two year contract. In addition to orders for the G3, Verizon is now offering the LG G Watch online for $230 and will be bringing the high-tech timepiece to its brick and mortar locations on July 17th as well.
Android Wear devices are finally here and the LG G Watch and Samsung Gear Live are the first two available, arriving just before the Moto 360’s release later this summer. These two Android Wear smartwatches pave the way for similar devices in the future and set somewhat of a standard that can be improved upon.
Today we’re taking a closer look at both smartwatches, but if you’d like to see a comparison between the two, be sure to check out our previous article here or our initial Android Wear review. Meanwhile, let’s pop open these boxes and go hands-on with the LG G Watch and Samsung Gear Live. Check out our video overview below.
Custom ROMs are a common commodity for Android users, with CyanogenMod being so ubiquitous as to be the default operating system for at least one flagship smartphone. But Android Wear devices are now available worldwide, meaning it’s just about time for a developer somewhere to improve the smartwatch software Google has shipped.
