LG plans to introduce first wearable device

By Kim Yoo-chul

This is an image of the upcoming LG G Watch. / Courtesy of LG Electronics

LG Electronics said Wednesday that it will unveil its first wristwatch called “LG G Watch” in the second quarter of this year.

“The G Watch will use Google’s wearable smart device platform ― Android Wear. Specifications for the upcoming device are still being developed,” the firm said in a statement.

G Watch will be connected to all Android-powered devices other than LG products.

By using “Google Now” function, users can check location and time data, while Google’s voice recognition feature will also be added.

LG plans to lower the entry barrier for content developers to make G Watch more accessible to consumers. The product will be sold in a bundle package with a “competitive” retail price, the firm said.

LG Display, the world’s biggest display panel manufacturer and a unit of LG Electronics, will exclusively provide panels for the device.

The firm vowed to collaborate with Google closely. “G Watch is the result of the fourth cooperation with Google after Nexus 4, Nexus 5, G Pad 8.3 and Google Play Edition,” LG said.

Thanks to closer collaboration with the U.S. software giant, LG hopes to improve its losing share in smart devices.

An LG official said it is developing new wearable devices with Google because the firm has low power to put its all-wanted specifications on Google devices due to its weak position in smartphones.

“The opportunity to work with Google on G Watch was the perfect chance for LG to really pull out all stops in both design and engineering,” Park Jong-seok, head of LG’s mobile division, said.

Despite this, it remains to be seen whether or not the Korean technology giant will be able to raise its share in wearable devices as LG has a limited marketing capacity.

LG is also engaged in a heated competition with Motorola, HTC, Samsung and even fashion brands like Fossil.

“Given the poor seasonality and high marketing budget, we expect losses to continue in the mobile division at least until the second half of this year, when the new flagship G3 model is launched,” Bernstein Research said in a recent report.