sciencetech-blog

comments

They are expected to be the next big thing in technology, bringing the power of your mobile phone to your wrist.

However,a  team of hackers has revealed wht is really inside LG's new Android powered smartwatch - and it's surprisingly simply.

In fact, the iFixit team who took the watch apart admit even they were surprised the by simplicity of the design.

Scroll down for video

LG'S GOOGLE WATCH

The G Watch has a square, 2-inch display and runs Android Wear - a streamlined version of Google's current operating system seen on phones and tablet.

LG has also revealed the watch will be waterproof, feature voice controls that take advantage of Google Now, and is likely to sync with LG's range of smartphones.

The watch is expected to launch at Google's I/O conference in June, and go on sale in July, with reports quoting a £180 price.

It will be available in black, white, and champagne gold

The 'teardown' was done by iFixit, which said 'We could very well be witnessing the birth of the smartwatch revolution.

'Google has unleashed not one, not two, but three smartwatches onto the battlefield.

'The first of the Android Wear teardowns are here: Say hello to our little LG G Watch.'

The site gave the watch a repairability Score of 9 out of 10 (10 is easiest to repair), saying 'Screws and spring contacts mean the rear case is super easy to remove.

'The battery is held in with a single Phillips screw and minimal adhesive, making replacement easy.

'Not the easiest watch band to remove, but an old standard that shouldn't pose much of a threat to band-replacers.

'Clean design with few fragile cables and connectors means a more robust, repair-ready device.'

The watch was unveiled by Google at its developer conference in San Francisco last month.

The firm showed off the latest watches running Android wear, a version of Android designed for wearable computers.

'It's finally possible to make a powerful computer small enough to wear on your body,' said Google's David Singleton.

It showed off the LG G watch, which shows the users the most relevant alert at the time - for instance, a flight they are about to get or an upcoming meeting.

Google also revealed apps for its watches, including a food ordering app from Eat that allows users to order favourite food directly from their wrist, and a recipe app called allthecooks that walks users through recipes on the watch face.

LG said the G Watch would initially be made available to 12 countries including the US, UK, France, Germany and Japan, adding that it would announce its price and shipping date shortly.

'As one of the first Android Wear devices to market, we see this as the beginning of a long-term commitment to making wearables running Android Wear a household name,' said Dr. Jong-seok Park, president and CEO of LG.

'We're confident that once consumers see how useful and compelling LG G Watch can be, it will be integrated into their daily lives, just as smartphone have done.'

LG'S G WATCH IN FIGURES

Inside the watch: On the left is the rear casing, with battery visible, while on the right id the main circuit board and screen housing.

LG's G watch cost $229 in the US, and runs a special version of Android developed by Google for watches called Android Wear.

• Chipset: 1.2GHz Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 400
• Display: 1.65-inch LCD IPS (280 x 280)
• Memory: 4GB eMMC / 512MB RAM
• Battery: 400mAh
• Operating System: Android Wear™ (compatible with smartphones running Android 4.3 and above)
• Size: 37.9 x 46.5 x 9.95mm
• Weight: 63g
• Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.0
• Sensors: 9-Axis (Gyro/ Accelerometer/ Compass)
• Colour: White Gold/ Black Titan
• Other: Dust and Water Resistant (IP67)

The G Watch has a square, 2-inch display and runs Android Wear - a streamlined version of Google's current operating system seen on phones and tablet.

LG has also revealed the watch is waterproof, feature voice controls that take advantage of Google Now, and is likely to sync with LG's range of smartphones.