LG has announced a new Android Wear smartwatch with a focus on fashion, the LG Watch Urbane.
The watch will receive a full launch at MWC 2015 at the beginning of March, but the Korean company has released a taster a fortnight ahead of the event.
It’s being dubbed the company’s first “all-metal luxury Android Wear device,” which has been designed for a “sophisticated and cosmopolitan wearer.”
Approached from another, plainer angle, LG has imbued a classic watch design with Android Wear functionality. It follows closely on from the LG G Watch R released in October, complete with the same 1.3-inch circular P-OLED display and 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 CPU.
However, while the G Watch R was for active users, the LG Watch Urbane sports a more formal design. This means a thinner profile, with narrower bezels, and some classic design flourishes.
Its body is made from stainless steel, with a choice of polished silver or gold finishes. The default strap, meanwhile, is leather, though this can be replaced with any standard 22mm band.
All in all, it could be the first truly fashion-focused Android Wear Watch we’ve seen, which is handy (if a little late) with the launch of the Apple Watch right around the corner.
In keeping with the classic watch looks, the Urbane features a classic watch face and an Always-On mode that keeps it dimly displayed at all times.
Of course, this being a smartwatch, it does more than just tell the time. LG has included a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor, which measures the wearer’s heart rate during exercise.
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Naturally, you also get the benefits of Android Wear, with all of the Google-powered Android notifications that involves.
We haven’t heard any price or availability details yet. Hopefully there’ll be more on that count at the LG Watch Urbane’s full MWC showing.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
