LG’s Watch Urbane has been a long time coming, following its announcement just before Mobile World Congress earlier this year. While we had the opportunity for a brief hands-on while in Barcelona, we knew it’d be a little while until it made it to Australian shores. In May, we had the opportunity to review LG’s dressy Android Wear watch, and Scott was quite a fan.
While the Urbane has now been available via the Play Store for a few months, general retail availability was an unknown entity, and now it’s finally here. LG has announced this afternoon that its Watch Urbane will be available in retail stores including Telstra, JB HiFi and Harvey Norman for $449, starting on 1 September.
For those who need reminding, Android Wear is much the same on most devices, with some minor variations. Having been an Urbane owner for the last couple of weeks, I can confirm that this is a particularly nice implementation; it’s quick, looks and feels great, and the battery life easily lasts a couple of days with moderate usage. On top of this, it has a heart rate sensor, with built in WiFi support, allowing WiFi pairing with your mobile no matter how far away it might be (on the same WiFi network, that is).
Phillip Anderson, Head of PR at LG Electronics Australia, is delighted with the sophisticated look of the new smartwatch, despite the delay in retail availability.
“The LG Watch Urbane’s classic design and smart features make it the perfect smartwatch to complement our handsets. I see the LG Watch Urbane as an important development in our strategy to deliver high quality wearable devices that are worn and viewed as stylish accessories, not just electronic gadgets.”
Stay tuned, because not only will the Urbane be available in retail soon, but I have a sneaking suspicion there just might be a giveaway around the corner …
