I’ve a pretty good track record of using Android devices. None of the probably about a dozen Android tablets and smartphones I’ve used in the about last 7 years have failed in a fashion that I haven’t been able to recover from – until the recent weekend that is. The LG G Watch R that Ling bought for my birthday 17 months ago got into a infinite boot loop, and I’ve been stumped on how to restore it back to working state. The failure is apparently common among LG G Watch Rs if Internet tech threads are any indication. And short of returning such units to manufacturer for repair, recovery measures in tech forums have included unlocking the bootloader to flash custom roms to using ice packs to bring down the watch’s internal temperature. None of these solutions have succeeded in coaxing my watch back to life , and it got to the point of utter exasperation that I’m ready to toss the phone down the rubbish chute!
So; looking around for a replacement smart watch and what my options were.
Apple Watch: knocked out of the list real quick. No non-round watches for me. No iPhone to pair it with anyway too.
Asus ZenWatch 2: very affordably priced, but also non-round in form factor.
LG Watch Urbane: The premium version of the LG G Watch R, but after seeing how the Watch R has failed, I’m not inclined to give LG watches another go.
Motorola Moto 360 (2nd Gen): for tech sites, one of the two most highly-regarded Android watches at this moment (the other is the Huawei Watch below). The Gen 2 comes in two sizes and is widely available in Singapore. Unfortunately, the watch while round in form factor also does not make full use of the display area, resulting in what Internet pundits jokingly refer to as a flat-tyre screen. The Gen 2 has two sizes, and my preference was the larger one of 46mm diameter screen. The relatively low resolution used in the screen though was a disappointment; display pixelation was obvious.
Huawei Watch: well-regarded and with stunning looks and premium build. The unit goes for about $450 in Singapore – ouch. But the watch as sold through Amazon exports sales was enjoying a hefty discount of more than a hundred moola savings, with free shipping to boot too.
Samsung Gear S2 Classic: was a real contender. Desirable form factor, chic look, and I didn’t mind that it wasn’t running off Android. Unfortunately, the watch’s retail price is pretty high, and no discounts were offerd on Amazon.
So it was the Huawei watch, and on the way to Singapore. A review to follow soon with comparisons to the LG G Watch R!
That’s a real shame, bud. That Huawei watch looks stunning! I’d not heard of it before your post.
I would have preferred the larger Moto 360 2 46mm. Or maybe it’s just that I don’t mind wearing – literally – a phone on my wrist at some point. 8) Just a pity that the Moto’s screen is relatively low-resolution, and the flat-tyre. Goodness. How did Motorola ever think people would not mind…?!