UPDATED: LG G Watch release date, news and features

Update: The LG G Watch release date is July 7 in the US with pre-orders beginning today. It's also been priced.

The LG G Watch officially became the first Android Wear smartwatch, as it starts shipping on July 7 and will be available for pre-order in a few hours.

Its sleek, all-metal design and near-flawless Google IO demo proves that it's still hip to be square next to the fashionable Moto 360 smartwatch, the darling of the Android Wear trio.

LG G Watch, Moto 360 and Samsung Gear Live all have similar specs, but it's Motorola's circular watch face that has everyone buzzing. It just doesn't have a release date or price yet.

The good news about the LG Watch is that the more we see of it video, the more its boxy screen comes off as the watch we wanted from the sophisticated-looking, but touchscreen-lacking Pebble Steel.

It's not the Moto 360, but LG proves that it's come a long way since the LG GD910 smartwatch and it'll go nicely with the all-metal-looking LG G3 smartphone if the price is right.

LG G Watch release date

If you want to get your hands on the Google Now-influenced Android Wear platform as soon as possible, you're going to have to pre-order the LG G Watch today.

The South Korean electronic firm starts shipping it in the US on July 7. It's worldwide rollout remains a mystery at the moment.

That's the same release date as the Samsung Gear Live, and it's really a toss up between the two watches with similar specs and only slightly altered styles.

LG G Watch price

We finally learned the LG G Watch price today following Google IO, and it doesn't cost much more than a smartphone on contract.

It's on sale for $229 (about £135, AU$244) from Google Play Store right now for both the white gold and black titan color options.

It should be noted, however, that Samsung's Gear Live smartwatch is priced slightly lower. It costs just $199 (about £117, AU$212) through Google Play and Best Buy.

That's pretty comparable to the Samsung Gear 2 Neo smartwatch, which ended up being $199 in the US and runs the Tizen platform.

There's no telling what the Moto 360 price will be, but a contest put on by Motorola revealed that it could cost $250 (about £149, AU$270).

LG G Watch specs and features

The LG G Watch has a fairly big screen with a 1.65-inch LCD IPS and a resolution of 128 x 128.

It's a hair bigger than than the Samsung Gear Live, which is 16.3 Super AMOLED display, the same size as the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo. It's also sharper with a 320 x 320 resolution.

But LG comes through with a slightly larger battery, an all-important factor for all-day wearable devices. It's 400mAh vs Samsung's 300mAh.

The LG G Watch also features an always-on display, lightweight design and overall tough form factor when compared to other smartwatches.

Back by a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 and 512MB of memory that match the Gear Live, this seems like the standard for Android Wear smartwatches.

Is the LG G Watch waterproof?

Even with its promised lightweight and comfortable design, the buttonless LG G Watch is touting dust and water resistant features.

It's not quite waterproof so it's not meant for the pool or the ocean, but at least you won't be in a panic if you drop this digital watch into the sink or the sand at the beach.

Like all of Samsung's watches and phones like the Galaxy S5, it has an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance.

LG G Watch battery life

The always-on display of the LG G Watch could run down the battery, but LG's expertise in power-efficient smartphone screens could help its smartwatch.

While we haven't tested it out yet, its black backgrounds with turned off individual pixels could help save battery life just enough to keep it from draining throughout the day.

Same technology tricks are thought to be used by the Moto 360. However, the difference between the two smartwatch batteries comes down to how they recharge.

There are five contact pins on the bottom of the LG G Watch, which means it comes with a Pogo charging method instead of a micro USB port.

The Moto 360 is a little more fashion-forward in this area too. It's confirmed to have magnetic Qi wireless charging through induction. Either method should get the job done.

LG G Watch compatibility

The LG G Watch is compatible with all Google-powered devices running Android 4.3 or greater, the company announced at its LG G3 press conference this month.

That means it'll sync with a Samsung like the Galaxy S5, Sony Xperia Z2 and HTC One M8, unlike Samsung's Gear 2, Gear 2 Neo and Gear Fit, which only work with Samsung devices.

Just don't expect the friendly compatibility offer to extend to iOS 8. Like the Moto 360, the LG G Watch won't work with the iPhone, meaning Apple fans can't enjoy any Andorid Wear device just yet.

LG G Watch to use 3G?

The a future LG G Watch could set itself apart from the Android-tethered Moto 360 thanks to standalone 3G capabilities, but that's not in the cards this time around.

Still, we can't help but wonder if LG's create another variant that can make calls directly from the wrist without a cell phone. It is likely to be limited to South Korea if it ever does come out.

Ultimately, that's the way that smartwatches could trend, as the Samsung Gear Solo is said to include a SIM slot and the ability to live out our dream of acting just like Dick Tracy.

For now, the LG G Watch features are as we have expected and the Android Wear revolution kicks off right on time to take on the forthcoming Apple iWatch.

• Read our Google Glass review for a different wearable entirely

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