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LG To Expand Smart Watch Line

Seoul – LG will go to the Sept. 5-10 IFA show in Berlin with its second Android Wear smartwatch, this one promoted as the first watch-style wearable with circular plastic OLED (P-OLED) display.

The LG G Watch R, which operates on Google’s Android Wear OS for wearables, will be available in major world markets early in the fourth quarter. Pricing wasn’t announced.

The 1.3-inch 320 by 320 display covers the watch’s entire face and is said to deliver clarity even under bright sunlight and at any angle. The watch will run compatible Android Wear apps available on the Google Play store.

The IP67 dust- and water-resistant device features Qualcomm 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 processor, 4GB of storage, 512MB of RAM, and 410mAh battery. It will run for up to 30 minutes under one meter of water.

“Wearables are also accessories, and consumers will want more than one to choose from,” said Dr. Jong-seok Park, president/CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications. “So we wanted to complement the modern design of the original G Watch with the classic look of the G Watch R.”

 Using the Android Wear OS, the watch delivers smart notifications of missed calls and messages, upcoming meetings, events, and local weather forecasts. It also features voice recognition and runs LG health and fitness apps, including an app to monitor heartbeats via an embedded photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor.

It’s positioned as offering the look of a traditional watch with a stainless-steel frame, ability to display a variety of watch faces, and an interchangeable 22mm calf skin leather strap.  It also includes a nine-axis sensor (gyro/accelerometer/compass) and barometer.

Android Wear is compatible with smartphones running Android 4.3 and above.

The Android Wear platform opens up app development to app developers, and provides predictive contextualized data without user intervention. On top of that, Android Wear watches respond to voice commands. By saying “Ok Google” and asking straightforward questions, for example, users can retrieve information about the weekend weather forecast, driving directions, and the like.

Users can also respond by voice to texts, instant messages, and emails as well as view information such as appointment notifications. Users also pause, play, and skip music tracks on a Bluetooth-connected phone incorporating the Android 4.3 and later OS.

With an Android Wear-enabled app, users could be notified of flight information before leaving for the airport and get recommendations on a different driving route to the airport if traffic is backed up.

Google also promotes Android Wear as a safer way to get directions, get traffic updates, and find phone-stored playlists while driving.

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