Smartwatches are booming and the hype around the Moto 360 over the course of the year has been huge. It made previous devices with square screens look dated and far less stylish and desirable, so it’s no surprise that LG has reacted with a rival.
LG G Watch R vs Moto 360: Price
Neither smartwatch is on sale at the time of writing this comparison but we’ve been lucky enough to see both in the flesh. The Moto 360 will set you back £199 which is a little less than we expected. LG hasn’t announced a price or release date yet but Expansys has the G Watch R available to pre-order at £219 which means it’s £20 more expensive. That’s a shame but doesn’t automatically mean you should opt for the cheaper or more expensive option. Read on to see what specs and features are on offer.
LG G Watch R vs Moto 360: Design
With similar specs across Android Wear smartwatches (see below), design plays a huge part in which device to go for. That makes it a personal thing so you will probably already know which one you prefer out of these two. However, there are non-subjective some things which we will point out. Both come in stainless steel frame (black or silver) and a leather strap which is interchangeable with the 22mm standard size. They each have a physical button on the side and have an IP67 rating which means they can both survive being submersed in up to 1m of water for up to 30 minutes. Unfortunately LG hasn’t specified dimensions for the G Watch R and we weren’t able to take measurements at IFA when we took a look at it. We don’t want to guess on weight but we’re pretty sure the design is thicker than the Moto 360. We’ll update this as soon as we can. Both are pretty large devices and unlike the Apple Watch, there is only one size available meaning that anyone with a smaller wrist is likely to find these too big. Try before you buy if possible.
LG G Watch R vs Moto 360: Screen
You’re probably wanting to buy one of these smartwatches because they have round screens, and we wouldn’t be surprised if LG created the G Watch R as a direct response to the hype which surrounded (and still does) the Moto 360. They are both round but there are some differences to point out. For starters the G Watch R has a slightly smaller display at 1.3in compared to the Moto 360’s 1.56in – we didn’t find the smaller display difficult to use in contrast. With a resolution of 320×320, the G Watch R has a decent pixel density of 348ppi. Meanwhile, 320×290 on the larger Moto 360 display equals a less impressive 205ppi. If the 290 part of the resolution sounds odd then you’re right. Motorola has decided to cut off the bottom of the screen to fit in an ambient light sensor and at times – such as using a white clock face – this looks awful (above). It’s been dubbed the flat tyre effect and it’s no wonder LG is touting its as the ‘world’s first full circle P-OLED display’. The other negative about the Moto 360’s screen is the moiré effect created by the bevelled glass meaning you can see jagged lines of pixels around the edge, especially when the screen is white.
LG G Watch R vs Moto 360: Hardware and specs
We’re seeing almost identical core specifications across the Android Watches which have been announced and launched. And the LG G Watch R and Moto 360 don’t buck this trend much as they both have 4 GB of internal storage, 512 MB of RAM and Bluetooth 4.0. There are also a number of sensors including a pedometer and heart rate monitor but it appears the G Watch R uniquely has a barometer for calculating elevation on top of steps. A small difference is that LG opts for the Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 which we’ve seen in other Android Wear devices while Motorola has gone for a Texas Instruments OMAP 3 processor. Another difference is that while the Moto 360 has a 320 mAh battery, the LG G Watch R has a 410 mAh. However, both firms tout all day battery life. The Moto 360 does have the advantage of wireless charging. The LG G Watch R charges via metal contacts and a cradle/dock which is close behind.
LG G Watch R vs Moto 360: Software
With Android Wear on-board both of these smartwatches, this is an area where the LG G Watch R and Motorola Moto 360 are essentially identical. It’s the same as if you were choosing between two laptops running Windows 8.1. We say essentially because LG and Motorola have created their own sets of watch faces so that a small difference but you can download more if you should choose. The way Android Wear works on both is exactly the same, except you’re using it on a different screen. Tech Advisor’s Reviews Editor, Chris has been reviewing all kinds of tech for over 10 years and specialises in audio. He also covers a range of topics including home entertainment, phones, laptops, tablets and more.
