The LG G Watch appears to be Google's stock reference device for the first line of watches, and it could not be more plain at that -- Which is not necessarily a bad thing. If Jony Ive worked for LG, he might call it unapologetically minimalist. The G Watch avoids the Apple watch's rounded contours and golden accents. It doesn't strive to look like the more classically-styled Moto 360. It doesn't even have a single button, unlike its companion device: Samsung's re-purposed Gear Live. Instead, you simply get a black rectangle with black bands.
Hardware
Beneath its unassuming surface, the G watch has comparable if not better specs than any smartwatch thus far. It sports a Snapdragon 400 SOC, the same chip used by the aforementioned Gear Live. It's also the same processor used in Motorola's Moto G smartphone, so you can be rest assured that as an accessory to your phone, this is not an underpowered device. The display is a 1.65-inch LCD IPS at 280 x 280 resolution. While that screen's not exactly the LG G3 of watches, it's certainly sharp enough for a display this small, and I never caught myself thinking that the screen looked fuzzy or of poor quality. The battery of the G Watch -- arguably the most important aspect of these early wearable devices -- clocks in at 400 mAh, a substantial 25% larger than both Samsung's and Motorola's Wear devices. Though size is not *all* that matters when it comes to battery life, it's generally safe to assume that it's a good indicator when it comes to comparing similar devices. The only feature that this watch lacks is a heart rate sensor, which is present in both of the other aforementioned Wear devices.
Battery & Performance
Let me begin by saying this: Battery life is of the utmost importance to me. Smart devices are incredibly useful, fun, and amazing tools (or toys, depending on how you use them). But absolutely nothing else matters about the device if it's dead.
The G watch uses a magnetic charging cradle that works painlessly: you set the watch down on the cradle to charge it; pick it up to remove it. Though there were early reports of skin rashes as a result of the underside charging pins, I experienced no such thing, and all reports indicate LG has since fixed this problem with an OTA.
So, what's it like wearing the watch on a typical day? Well, you're not going to be able to get the battery life of the Pebble with an Android Wear watch. You will, however, easily make it through a full day of use as long as you're not constantly poking at the screen at full brightness for hours on end. I've used the device every day for a several weeks now, and after a 16 hour day, with frequent notifications, music/podcast controls, and voice dictation for texts, reminders, and search, it's usually around 55% by the time I go to bed. Even on days where I'm out later or use it more heavily, I have yet to see my battery gauge go below 40%, ever. For the record, I had always-on mode activated, and kept my screen brightness at 3, on a scale of 5.
As for performance, the watch is smooth, doesn't lag, and operates...well, pretty much as advertised. When you rotate your wrist towards you, an accelerometer activates the screen, switching from the always-on black-and-white mode, to the brighter, full-color display. Though I sometimes found myself having to be a little more deliberate in my arm movements, it works as expected 9 times out of 10. Google Now voice recognition is surprisingly accurate. In fact, I found myself feeling more limited by the lack of "PUNCTUATION!!!" or subtlety... that you can parse out in typed text rather than any sort of mistaken words. However, the step-counter feature is in dire need of some calibration. It thinks any movement is a step. You'll have gotten an eighth of the way to your daily step goal just by brushing your teeth.
In Use
But what does the device actually do? Simple: it's a convenient and easy-to-access notification center on your wrist in the style of Google Now. Simply put, if you're a fan of Google Now and all of its functionality, an Android Wear device will probably be a familiar yet enjoyable experience for you. Just like the full-fledged phone app, it'll keep track of the weather, give you traffic alerts, and remind you of birthdays and calendar events.
"That sounds pretty decent," you might say, "But I already have a phone that gets notifications and Google Now cards. Why would I want redundant functionality on my wrist?" And I get that. For many of you, Android Wear is still missing some sort of killer, exclusive feature that would truly make it a must-have platform. My best answer to this is that it offers the convenience of a smartphone without the addictive, time-consuming aspect of one.
Think about it: when you feel your phone vibrate in your pocket and you reach to investigate, how often do you promptly reply to the singular notification and then immediately go back to what you were doing? Sure, it works like that sometimes. But maybe you want to check Twitter while you've got that beautiful 1080p phone staring up at you. Maybe you then want to scan the top posts of your favorite subreddit. Oh, and look, your friend's putting up the photos from last night's show on Facebook. Before you know it, you've spent fifteen minutes in mobile-internet land as a result from one notification, which was probably just an email from a site you keep forgetting to unsubscribe from anyway.
When you get that same notification on your watch, all it takes is a single glance to evaluate whether it's something that requires your immediate attention, or if you can just swipe it away and get on with your day. As an added bonus, you might also notice an improvement in your phone's battery life by the simple fact that you'll be using it less often for frivolous browsing and app-jumping. We're still in the early stages of wearable tech, and the G Watch is both a reference device and a first-generation device. But it's got enough going for it to get me excited about the potential of this market.
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