At Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL) (NASDAQ:GOOG)’s I/O conference on Wednesday, Korean electronics giants LG and Samsung unveiled their Android Wear-based smartwatches. Both devices are available to pre-order on Google’s Play Store in 12 countries including the U.S., Japan and France. LG Electronics and Samsung said in separate statements that they will start shipping the new wearable devices from July 7. Another Android Wear smartwatch by Motorola, Moto 360, will go for sale later in the summer.
The two devices, G Watch and Gear Live, can’t make phone calls by themselves. But you can connect them to many Android smartphones. Many of the specifications of the two smartwatches are similar. But there are differences, too. Let’s compared them to figure out how they stand against each other on various parameters.
G Watch vs. Gear Live: Screen
LG Electronics Inc. (KRX:066570) (OTCMKTS:LGEAF) ‘s G Watch sports a 1.65-inch IPS LCD touchscreen display. It has a resolution of 280×280. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (LON:BC94) (KRX:005930)’s Gear Live has an edge with screen resolution of 320×320. Gear Live has a 1.63-inch display.
G Watch vs. Gear Live: Battery
This is one of the most important things for buyers. Both companies claim that their respective smartwatches would easily last a day between charges. But the actual battery life could be lower than what vendors claim (or exaggerate). Anyway looking at the battery size, the G Watch comes with a 400mAh battery, amount 33% bigger than the Gear Live’s 300mAh.
G Watch vs. Gear Live: Processor
LG’s G Watch is powered by a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor. Samsung didn’t specify which processor it’s using in the Gear Live, besides revealing that it’s a 1.2GHz chipset. Smartwatches don’t need powerful multi-core processors as they have low-resolution screens.
G Watch vs. Gear Live: Weight and size
The G Watch is relatively thicker at 9.95mm and heavier at 63g, compared to Gear Live’s 8.9mm thickness and 59g weight. The surface size of G Watch is 37.9mm x 46.5mm compared to 37.9mm x 56.4mm of the Gear Live.
G Watch vs. Gear Live: RAM and storage
LG’s wristwatch packs 512MB RAM and 4GB storage. Gear Live offers the same storage capacity and RAM.
G Watch vs. Gear Live: other features
Among other things, both devices are water- and dust-resistant. The adhere to the IP67 specification, meaning you can keep them on while taking a shower, doing gardening or washing your hands. AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) has announced that it will be one of the first carriers to offer the G Watch. You can expect LG’s smartwatch to reach AT&T stores “in the coming weeks.”
G Watch vs. Gear Live: Price
In the U.S., LG Electronics’s device would cost $229, slightly higher than $199 for the Gear Live. In the UK, G Watch is a bit cheaper at £159 compared to £169 for Samsung’s device.
