Hot on the heels of the news that in two weeks Apple likely will unveil their first entry into the wearable market, both LG and Samsung have announced new smart watches. Both devices represent firsts in smart watches. The LG device was not planned to be announced until next week at IFA 2014, with the company likely feeling pressure to announce something to distract from the Apple rumors. The LG G Watch R is a sharp looking device that marks the first 360 degree screen in a wearable (the Moto 360 is flat at the bottom). The screen is a 1.3inch Plastic OLED display that LG promises is viewable in sunlight. From the press images, the device appears very similar in look to a traditional watch. The G Watch R is a full featured Android Wear device with heart rate monitor. It is scheduled to ship sometime in Q4.
The Samsung Gear S continues to company’s push towards its own Tizen architecture. The device therefore is only compatible with certain Samsung phones and tablets and is not running Android Wear. Samsung’s new Gear watch features a curved 2inch Super AMOLED display, heart rate monitor, and UV sensor. It features Samsung’s own S Health app, Nike+, and Nokia’s Here for pedestrian GSP navigation (another departure from Google). Finally, the Gear S stands out from the competition with the inclusion of 3G connectivity. The Gear S brings yet another completely different design of a wearable from Samsung, who appear to be throwing everything they can at the wall to see if anything will stick (and given the legal history, likely hoping to land on Apple’s design before Apple announces a device). The Gear S is scheduled to ship in October.
