LG G Watch R: Top 3 Business Features

The G Watch R gets its name from its round face. Credit: LG

LG's new smartwatch sports a round face and a sleek metal design. That sets the G Watch R apart from many devices in the current crop of smartwatches, which sport chunky plastic designs. Like any good smartwatch, it can pull in notifications from your Android smartphone to ensure you never miss an alert during the workday. The G Watch R, a follow-up to the original LG G Watch, also packs the power of Android Wear, and sports one of the bigger batteries seen in a smartwatch. LG hasn't announced exact pricing and release details for the device, but it's expected to launch this month. For now, read on for three features that might make it good for work.

Design

The G Watch R gets its name from its striking round face, which stands out in a landscape of rectangular smartwatches. Alongside from the upcoming Moto 360 smartwatch from Motorola, it's the first Android smartwatch to debut with a circular face. That's a plus for business users who want a watch they can take seriously, since the G Watch R has plenty of style to match its functionality.

Android Wear

The G Watch R is powered by Android Wear, Google's new mobile OS designed for smartwatches. Android Wear lets you link your watch to your smartphone via Bluetooth and receive all of your alerts right on your wrist. And the platform integrates with Google Now, a personal assistant app that's designed to know what you need before you even ask for it. Android Wear watches can notify you of heavy traffic on your typical commute route, weather alerts, flight delays and more.

Battery

Good battery life is an important quality in any good smartwatch, but few of the devices can last a full two days before they need a recharge. The G Watch R might last a bit longer than its predecessor, though, since LG is offering a slightly beefier 410 mAh battery, compared with the original G Watch's 400 mAh battery. We haven't had a chance to test the G Watch R's battery life just yet, but it's possible you'll be able to make it through a second workday before plugging it in.