LG’s second Android Wear smartwatch, the G Watch R, is ready to go on sale. Revealed at the beginning of September, we’ve finally received news of its release in America. Here’s what we know so far.
Updated on 11-14-2014 by Malarie Gokey: Added in T-Mobile pricing and availability for G Watch R.
The LG G Watch R is now on sale in America, following a launch in the UK and parts of Europe at the beginning of November. AT&T began selling the G Watch R online on November 5, with retail stores receiving stock on November 7, and the network has attached a $300 price tag to the swish smartwatch.
LG promised the G Watch R would eventually be sold in the Play Store, and soon after AT&T’s announcement, online shoppers found the device ready to buy through Google’s shop, where it rubs shoulders with LG’s first Android Wear smartwatch and the Samsung Gear Live. The price remains $300, making the G Watch R one of the more expensive Android Wear smartwatches we’ve seen. It costs $50 more than the Moto 360.
Sprint became the second U.S. network to sell the G Watch R. From November 14, the watch will be available to buy in-store and online for $300, plus there is the option to spread the cost over 12 months. Should you qualify for the offer, it’ll cost you nothing on the day, and $25 per month for a year.
Shortly thereafter, T-Mobile announced pricing and availability information for the G Watch R. The perfectly round smartwatch will arrive in T-Mobile stores on November 19 for $300. The Uncarrier added that the watch will be available to order online before the end of November.
International G Watch R pricing and release
In the UK, online retailer Clove Technology has priced the G Watch R at £225, which is around $360, and £25/$40 more than the Moto 360. The watch started shipping in the UK on October 29.
Following the G Watch R’s early release in South Korea, confirmed in a blog post on October 14, local network Olleh put the G Watch R on its website for around $330. This matched early rumor reports from Korean news source ETNews, and ZDNet Korea, where it was stated the price would be around 352,000 won, or approximately $330, making the G Watch R about $70 more expensive, locally, than the first G Watch.
The G Watch R shuns the angled design of the G Watch, and wraps a circular 1.3-inch P-OLED touchscreen in a metal body, complete with a leather strap. This gives the G Watch R a more traditional “watch” look, over the slightly geekily styled examples that have dominated the smartwatch scene over the past year. It’s powered by a 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 processor, has 4GB of internal storage space, a heart rate monitor, and is both dust and water resistant.
Updates:
Updated on 11-10-2014 by Andy Boxall: Added in news from Sprint concerning the G Watch R’s release on November 14.
Updated on 11-07-2014 by Kyle Wiggers: Added information regarding availability and pricing of the G Watch R on Google Play.
Updated 0n 11-03-2014 by Andy Boxall: Added AT&T’s pricing and final release date for the G Watch R.
Updated 0n 10-28-2014 by Andy Boxall: Added confirmation of AT&T’s intention to sell the G Watch R in America, plus pricing and release information for the UK.
Updated 0n 10-23-2014 by Andy Boxall: Added UK, European, and North American release information for the G Watch R.
Article originally published on 10-06-2014
