LG Watch Urbane SmartWatch : Review
Beautiful, premium and probably not the smartwatch for all tastes. LG’s first smartwatch did not offer much. The second model intrigued us, and finally Urbane surprised us positively.
The LG Watch Urbane is the third smartwatch from the Korean company LG produced in conjunction with Google in these 12 months of activity and is essentially a smartwatch that is not mentioned behind. It is also the first smartwatch that has already got the most-recent official update of Android Wear. Certainly, the price could trick some users, but end up reading our review to find out if the game is worth the candle, and for us, it is a yes.
Built with high-quality materials (stainless steel finished in gold or silver), the LG Urbane Watch is an electronic wrist watch that naturally places itself in a price range higher than the average of the other smartwatches. The price is closer to the cheapest Apple Watch – although it does not seem to us that LG is asking too much about the features offered.
Prices apart, Urbane has a distinct appearance and is very shiny and compact at first glance. Despite the pictures in LG’s publicity as an electronic clock worn by a woman, we did not find any trouble in wearing it to a dinner party. We disband this myth. The Urban Watch Watch is also suitable for men in a career. Continue reading our review to find out all of its features.
Product prices and availability are subject to change. Any price and availablility information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of any products.
Design and Display
The LG Watch Urbane features a 1.3-inch P-OLED display (320 x 320, 245 ppi). The Urbane is also a bit smaller than its rounded rival, the Moto 360, which reaches 1.56 inches. All the viewing angles are more than acceptable, perhaps even better than the Pebble. Urbane fits best with a sporty look, Adidas suit and nike hat to complete the look. While the younger brother, the G Watch R model, looks perfect for runners and outdoor sports enthusiasts.
Our Urban has a clean and solid stainless steel body. You can choose some colorations, including gold, black or silver. The closing system also allows us to change the 22mm strap. If you want, you can also change the genuine leather strap of the original for something silicone, metal or even a different leather strap. The body of the Urbane is particularly large and could hang on the slender and slim wrists. There are no Physical buttons on the watch, but a small crown like traditional wrist wears was placed on the right side of the wareable.
The dimensions are 45.5 x 52.2 x 10.9 mm, very similar to the G Watch R size of 46.4 x 53.6 x 9.7 mm. The LG Urbane model is considerably heavier (66.5 g) than the G Watch R (62g).
Comfort
I would not say Urban is uncomfortable, indeed my pulse is pretty good because it’s a massive wrist. In any case, this worn-out is unsuitable for very thin wrists. Even at the last strap hole, LG’s watch does not shrink the wrist much, so maybe a shorter strap can be used. I cannot help but think that a 1.3 inches on a small wrist will look strange in any case.
Operating System and Features
We are currently installing Android version 5.1.1 on our LG Watch Urbane, which now has an Android-powered operating system, or better in this case, Android Wear. In the launch phase, we found some bugs here and there but after the last update we’ve made so much progress forward, ensuring a greatly improved functionality, both in quantity and quality.
An always active screen is not a new feature, but in version 5.1.1, this feature has been implemented, it now saves battery life by displaying a partial notification with fewer colors and details. By raising the wrist, you switch to the main dial mode.
My favorite tips are the addition of hands-on gesture. You can move your wrist back and forth to open applications, open and close apps, and view notifications. It does not work as an email reading method with the scroll down.
Apart from this inconvenience, LG’s wearable is satisfactory in this regard, especially after using Apple Watch that has a rather annoying notification system.
Another great novelty is Wi-Fi support, which means that SmartWatch with integrated Wi-Fi can connect to a network and receive notifications, send messages, and use any app you want, even if the smartwatch is not close.
It was really comfortable, wearing the Urbane, do not have to worry about having my Android phone with me at all times. In addition, the P-OLED screen is complemented by a more powerful category chipset: the Snapdragon 400 with 1.2 GHz and 1 GB of RAM. There is 4GB of built-in memory and the ability to install your music without using your mobile phone.
Applications, Fitness trackers and Monitoring
LG Watch Urbane is a watch that has all the normal specifications you would expect from an Android Wear device. The interface of the previous Android Wear app was very confusing, but fortunately every issue was resolved with the latest update. Now all you have to do is touch the face of the watch screen and scroll left to see a clean and simple version of your application list. Most used and recent apps will be displayed at the top of the screen, while the rest will be listed in alphabetical order.
The smartwatch is compatible with standard Google apps such as: Agenda, Gmail, Play Music, Timer Stopwatch and Find Phone, LG Pulse.
LG Pulse is particularly interested in it because it is an application that keeps track of your heart rate, but you will not only be able to differentiate your heart rate metrics depending on your chosen sport. A heart rate calculation for each type of workout. After the Pulse app, we also find the Fit app from which to access both the heart-rate monitor and the counts. Urbane does not have GPS, and to justify this failure, we turn to LG itself, who said that GPS is an optional sensor since there is already an accelerometer that allows proper tracking of sports activity, a GPS would only download the GPS battery.
The heart-rate monitor at the back, combined with the barometer and the internal accelerometer, generally make it an excellent watch to use to detect movement.
And for the Urban watch IP67 certification, this means that the smartwatch is resistant to dust and water. Good news for swimming practitioners, the device can run for 30 minutes in the water to a depth of one meter without any damage.
And if you have not guessed it already, Lg Urban Watch is only compatible with Android devices with versions 4.3 or later.
Performance and Battery life
It was interesting to note that while switching between the various faces or watchfaces of the watch is very fluid and optimized, the device takes a long time to restart. The software, despite the various updates, is not free from bugs that we found during the application’s swipe.
Like his older brother LG G Watch R, Urbane also has a decent battery, and both devices come with the same battery. Under the bonnet of this smartwatch we find a 410 milliampere battery that is more powerful than the Moto 360.
With the use of email, notifications, application download, and daily use of the device, my Urbane lasted two days on a single charge – just like G Watch R, always from LG. If we want to make a comparison, LG’s battery is the same as the Apple Watch battery. Just as the battery is similar to LG devices, so is the charging method, possessing a magnetic base for charging. Of course the two rechargeable decks are not interchangeable.
Conclusion
PROS :
- Performance
- Battery
- Optimized Watchfaces
CONS :
- No ambient light sensors
- This refurbished product is tested and certified to look and work like new. The...
Product prices and availability are subject to change. Any price and availablility information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of any products.
