The LG G Watch R has arrived in stock at Mobile Fun! We’re selling out fast, so if you want to pick one up then you may want to order now at the G Watch R product page. If you want to know more about the smartwatch, then read on for our hands-on impressions–or check out our G Watch R review roundup!

A very traditional design

Right out of the box, the G Watch R has a distinctive look that sets it apart from other smartwatches. The prominent crown, metal enclosure with oversized lugs and minute-marked dial all serve to validate the R’s credentials as a legitimate watch. The leather band is also quite stylish, and can be swapped for other 22mm bands.

The Watch R is water resistant, with an IP67 rating that means it should survive “in still tap water at room temperature for about 30 minutes, up to a depth of 1 metre.” That means it should brush off rain and splashes, but wouldn’t want to go swimming with it.

The first full circle Android Wear smartwatch

The Watch R’s killer feature is its display. The R has a circular dial like the Moto 360, but the screen here is a complete circle–there’s no black bar cut out of the bottom of the display. LG have instead put their display tech in the larger bezel. LG have also gone with a smaller display–1.3 inches instead of 1.56 inches–which results in two watches that are roughly the same size.

The small display has a resolution of 320 x 320 pixels, making the Watch R the most dense display on an Android Wear smartwatch so far. Viewing angles and colour reproduction seems quite good here, but there’s not a massive difference looking at the 360 and Watch R side-by-side. One big improvement over the earlier G Watch is sunlight visibility; now it’s quite possible to use the watch on a sunny day.

Smartwatch powerhouse

The G Watch R is as well-equipped as any other Android Wear smartwatch on the market, with a Snapdragon 400 quad-core CPU and 4GB of internal storage (for storing songs and installing apps).

A 410 mAh battery sits inside; the highest capacity battery inside an Android Wear device thus far (if only by a bit). We didn’t get a chance to look at battery life during our short time with the device, but other publications have reported two days of use with the screen constantly on, and up to three days when the display is allowed to turn off when unused.

In terms of sensors, we’re looking at a gyroscope, accelerometer, compass, heart rate monitor, barometer – but there’s no ambient light sensor to automatically adjust the brightness. Bluetooth 4.0 is used, and with the latest version of Android Wear you can connect to Bluetooth headphones / speakers as well as your Android 4.3+ phone.

Many watch faces and Android Wear

The Watch R comes out of the box with about 20 watch faces. That’s around the same number as came with the earlier G Watch, and triple the number of watch faces that come with the Moto 360. These watch faces generally adhere to the style set out by the Watch R’s hardware, with faces centred around sports, hiking and fitness that display additional information like steps taken, elevation and world times. Of course, there are some options out of left field as well, which provide effervescent and eye-catching looks but clash with the watch’s design.

The operating system on-board the G Watch R is Android Wear; the same as on the Moto 360, Gear Live, G Watch and the upcoming Sony SmartWatch 3. You’ll find the OS reasonably well-adapted for the circular display, although the touch-and-swipe interface isn’t entirely intuitive. Voice commands work well (if you are brave enough to try them in public) and overall the watch is definitely a useful complement to your phone.You’ll get notifications from your phone which can be ignored or responded to right from your watch; a growing number of apps now support the OS. Of course, you’re also able to make notes, set timers, track your steps and heart-rate, and even see the time.

One of the best Android Wear smartwatches so far

It’s still early days for Android Wear and smartwatches in general, but already we’re getting watches that are useful enough to be worth their cost. The G Watch R is arguably the best smartwatch on the market right now; its look is on par with the Moto 360 and it enjoys better performance and battery life. While the bulky construction might not suit everyone, if you’re in step with its design goals then you’ll find a useful and enjoyable smart watch in the G Watch R.

The G Watch R is available now at Mobile Fun, but supplies are limited. For the latest information, including pricing and availability, please visit the product page linked below: