Are you someone that doesn’t have an iPhone and are bummed out that you can’t use the $10,000 dollar Apple Watch that’s made from gold? Well don’t worry, as the next smartwatch that’s made from gold is here: the LG Watch Urbane Luxe. Many wonder just how luxurious a smartwatch could get, and with the introduction of yet another gold smartwatch, it seems as through there is a growing market for these high-end devices.
LG was one of the first companies to break into the smartwatch industry when they launched the G Watch in June of 2014. They quickly followed up with the sportier G Watch R in the Fall of 2014. Then LG wanted to tackle the higher-end smartwatch market, so they released the Watch Urbane in March of 2015. Compared to the previous two models, the Watch Urbane was more premium, stylish, and considerably more luxurious. With its round face and the classic design, the Watch Urbane was a great fit for many. However many wondered if the nearly $350 dollar price tag was too steep for what the device offered. That now seems cheap, given that the new Watch Urbane Luxe edition is priced at $1,200 dollars.
Obviously unlike previous versions of this watch, the Watch Urbane Luxe is made from 23-karat gold, an interesting choice of materials. However outside of the gold, the watch boasts other premium materials. Unlike other smartwatches, the band of the Watch Urbane Luxe is made from real alligator leather. LG partnered up with REEDS Jewelers in the United States to make this watch a reality, and I must admit it does look good. But apart from those features the Watch Urbane Luxe has the same specs as the standard Urbane. Under the hood it’s rocking a 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 processor from Qualcomm, it has 512MB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage’ it has a variety of sensors, a 1.3-inch OLED display with a resolution of 320×320, and a 410MAh battery. Like all other Android smartwatches, the Urbane Luxe is powered by Android Wear and can pair with most smartphones running Android 4.3 or higher.
The watch will also be delivered in a premium wooden case, similar to the one’s that jewelry and timepieces are packaged in and LG is looking to directly compete with the Apple Watch Edition as those also come in pretty boxes. But again, apart from the fact that the watch is made from gold, it offers no new benefits compared to all of the other Android Wear smartwatches that are currently on the market. Additionally LG will only be producing just 500 of the Watch Urbane Luxe editions in total, so if you want one you’re going to have to act fast. So far there’s no official release date, but it will most likely be available sometime at the end of October.
Like the gold Apple Watch, the real question here is “is it worth spending this much money on a smartwatch that will be outdated in a years time?”. That’s for you to determine for yourself, however I don’t think these gold smartwatches are “worth it”. They’re still too expensive for what they do, and all you’re really paying for is the gold and I suppose bragging rites. Sure it looks good, but is it $1,200 good? My $150 dollar Moto 360 can do all of the functions that this $1,200 dollar LG smartwatch can do. True, mine is not made from gold, but I think you can get my point. However if you do want a gold smartwatch and don’t want to spend Apple Watch money, the $1,200 dollar price point is much more affordable compared to the $10,000 dollar plus Apple Watches.
Photos from LG
