LG Watch Urbane: LG Leads The Smartwatch Industry Again With First All-Metal Luxury Android Wear Timepiece

Amid the developing smartwatch market, consumers have indicated that they still want their watches to look like watches. Timepieces remain a major fashion statement for many, and LG has taken this into consideration with its new LG Watch Urbane, an all-metal luxury Android Wear device.

LG plans to showcase the LG Watch Urbane at the World Mobile Congress in March, but it announced the device Monday. As a successor to the LG G Watch R, the first smartwatch on the market with a round face, the LG Watch Urbane has a classic-timepiece look with a metal frame and leather straps. LG notes the watch’s body is thin, to appeal to both men and women, and comes in silver and gold finishes. Users can also switch the straps to suit their tastes.

In addition to its “sophisticated and cosmopolitan” look and feel, the LG Watch Urbane also has many staple smartwatch features. Its sensors include Gyro, Accelerometer, Compass, Barometer and Heart Rate Sensor; it's powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 ship and the Android Wear operating system; it has a 1.3-inch (320 x 320 resolution) P-OLED display, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage, and a 410mAh battery; and it is dust- and water-resistant, with an Ingress Protection rating of IP67.

“The LG Watch Urbane’s classic design and smart features make it the perfect smartwatch to complement our G Watch and G Watch R, which were designed as more casual and active devices,” said LG Electronics Mobile president and CEO Juno Cho in a statement. “LG Watch Urbane is an important part of our strategy to develop wearable devices that are worn and viewed as everyday accessories, not electronic gadgets.”

LG has not yet announced price and availability details for the LG Watch Urbane, but will likely do so at or after WMC.