Wednesday, July 16, 2014
It took us a little while to come around to the LG G Watch. It's an unassuming entry — really just a (nearly) square watch, partnered with a run-of-the-mill rubber strap. It doesn't look all that exciting. It's the more expensive (by all of $30) of the first two Android Wear devices. It has a lower-resolution display (280x280 at 1.65 inches diagonal) than Samsung's Gear Live.
But there are a couple reasons we're comfortable putting the G Watch at the top of our list.
The first is that it's a lot easier to charge. LG uses a little charging dock that's just a tiny bit bigger than the watch itself. It's magnetic, so the watch (usually) will stay in place. All you have to do is line up the charging contacts properly, and plug the thing into a microUSB cable. It's easy — much easier than Samsung's charging clip. And since you're going to be charging this thing once a day or so, that means a lot.
The other thing that's put the G Watch ahead for us is the use of custom straps, and the way they fit against the body. Because the G Watch is a more generic design, custom straps fit better and look better. And they're a little easier to install. While you probably won't be swapping straps too often, it's nice to know that it's easy to do.
All in all, the G Watch is a solid entry to Android Wear, and it garners the top spot — for now — on our list. It likely won't remain there forever, though.
