Moto 360 vs LG G Watch vs the Samsung Gear Live

Moto 360 vs LG G Watch vs the Samsung Gear Live: Early view
Smartwatches are gathering pace - and the Moto 360 is one of the most desirable

Fancy some Android on your wrist? At the Google IO Developer Conference the company has taken the wraps off the two Android Wear smartwatches we've seen before, and one we had only heard hints about — the LG G Watch, the Moto 360 and the Samsung Gear Live.

The LG and Samsung watches are on sale through Google Play with the Motorola device arriving later this summer.

If you've got your cash ready and are wondering how these wrist-based micro-computers stack up against each other, we've got all the specs and details you need. Google has promised that more Android Wear-powered smartwatches are on the way, but for now this is your choice.

Screen size and shape

The LG G Watch sports a square 1.65-inch IPS screen with a 280 x 280 pixel resolution. The Samsung Gear Live is smaller but sharper: it has a square 1.63-inch Super AMOLED panel with a 320 x 320 pixel resolution.

Android Wear

The LG G Watch, available now

If you want a circular smartwatch face, the Moto 360 is your only choice for the time being, though we don't know the exact measurements or resolution right now.

The rumours are that it uses a special low-power custom-made OLED display, but we'll have to wait and see.

Android Wear

The Moto 360 has a more sophisticated round face

In terms of screen size there's not much to choose between the three smartwatches, though the Moto 360's round face is likely to make it the more attractive offering for the majority of consumers — the groans around the Google IO conference hall when it was announced the Moto 360 would not be available to order seem to bear that out.

Internal specs

The LG G Watch is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 CPU running at 1.2GHz. There's 512MB of internal RAM and 4GB of storage space packed into the casing. LG has listed the battery as a 400mAh model, so we'll have to see how well that stands up in day-to-day use.

Android Wear

The Gear Live and G Watch have very similar specs

The Samsung Gear Live brings a very similar set of specifications to the table. We don't know the model of the processor, but considering it's listed as a 1.2GHz CPU it's likely to be the same one powering the LG.

The 512MB of RAM and 4GB of storage match up, but the battery is a weedier 300mAh edition. Samsung is promising "all-day battery life" but it may not be much more than that in practice.

Again, there's not much we can tell you in terms of specifics about the Moto 360. We have been told it will support Qi-compatible wireless charging (found in the Nexus 5 and many Nokia handsets) but as for internal specifications Motorola is playing its cards close to its chest.

Features and design

Both the G Watch and the Gear Live are listed as IP67 dust and water resistant, and both come with the essential Bluetooth 4.0 LE for connecting up with your phone - although only Android phones using version 4.3 and above, and iPhone users are out of luck.

Uniquely, Samsung's device's offers a heart rate monitor on the back of the watch, enabling it to plug directly into a whole range of fitness apps.

Android Wear

The Moto 360 can be worn on either wrist

Measuring 37.9mm x 46.5mm x 9.95mm, the LG smartwatch tips the scales at 63g and comes in either "black titan" or "white gold" colours.

The slightly taller Samsung device has dimensions of 37.9mm x 56.4mm x 8.9mm, weighs 59g and comes in black or red. Both watches use standard 22mm straps, so you can easily replace them if they aren't to your tastes.

While not as widespread in terms of detail, the Moto 360 looks the slightly bulkier, stockier timepiece of the trio, but with the circular face is impressing many, plus it too is water resistant, according to Google.

Android Wear

Connection to a smartphone is via Bluetooth Low Energy

The manufacturer has said the watch can be worn on the right or the left wrist, with the digital face flipping to match wherever you have the control knob pointing. It's also rumoured to be sporting high-strength sapphire glass, which would bump up the price. And that leads us nicely on to...

David Nield
Freelance Contributor

Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you'll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.