Style -- 3 days ago
Words: Alex Woodhall
Apple’s attempt at cracking the smartwatch market was supposed to be the tipping point for a product that had yet to really get going. Android ready wrist tech has been around for a number of years, never gaining half the momentum that Apple mustered within minutes of the reveal. Naturally, fans flocked to Apple stores, camping out if they had to, all in an effort to get hold of the Cupertino company’s latest device.
We’re now a few months down the line since that April release and the latest talk from the tech markets is that the Watch is struggling. One data analytics firm reported online sales have torpedoed 90% in the wrong direction, a stat that was quickly splayed all over the press. Couple that with some questionable reviews on performance and the Apple Watch hasn’t yet delivered on its stratospheric promise.
The Apple Watch will always have one thing going for it however – it’s an Apple product. One sweep around you average office and you’ll find most have an iPhone, hence it’s the only realistic smartwatch option out there right now. The model of minimalism, it’s also undeniably good looking, but is it the kind of thing you’d want to wear on you wrist? Even the 18-carat Edition still looks a little too techy for the majority; not even slapping a Milanese loop can redeem it the eyes of the archetypal style-conscious.
So far, smartwatches that look like timepieces have been underwhelming to say the least – the Moto 360 and Pebble Steel spring to mind. That’s until LG paid heed to the principal complaint from the masses, and endeavoured to create a device that from the outside was first and foremost a watch.
A simplistic timeless aesthetic belies the gadgetry inside, even at a second or third glance. Sidestepping the screensaver-like-face many of its rivals have opted for, the watch face, whilst a screen, looks like a watch face – albeit a digital projection of one – and there are plenty to choose from. Straps are interchangeable, a 22mm stitched leather option comes as standard, whilst the crown is an unassuming home button and point of control.
Inside, the tech is no slouch. The battery life should last two days, twice as long as the Apple Watch, although the Apple device probably just shades it in terms of screen resolution. The Urbane, like the Watch, comes equipped with everything to make it a great fitness accessory, and performance wise they’re both pretty comparable.
Ultimately, if you’re an Apple user, for the time being the Apple Watch is the only choice and the same for Android fans – cross-compatibility is currently all but non-existent. Google would like to add iOS compatibility in the future though. Taking that out of the equation and the LG Urbane is a strong competitor to the Apple Watch – it’s also just £230.00, cheaper than the entry level Apple Sport.
In many ways the Urbane is the antithesis of the Watch; it priorities a traditional aesthetic over the futuristic look of Apple’s flagship and for that it’ll win many over to the possibility of smarter timepieces.
