You may be able to buy your G Watch R next week. Photo: LG
LG is expected to finally launch its second Android Wear watch next week. Two separate sources in South Korean claim the G Watch R will make its debut there on Monday, October 13 — almost two months after it was announced at IFA 2014 in Berlin — but just one retailer will be selling the device for the first week.
Android Wear’s complete customization features give it an advantage Apple Watch can’t match once it launches next year. Everything on Android Wear and you could even make it look just like Apple Watch’s UI if you want, or if you’re a nostalgic 16-year old with too much time on your hands, you can hack Windows 95 onto the 1.63-inch display of the Samsung Gear Live.
Corbin Davenport posted a video of this smartwatch running the 20-year old operating system. His hack utilizes aDosBox, which emulates an x86 processor and DOS-like operating system so you can do silly stuff like install Microsoft’s oldest operating system, or old apps like Doom (which Corbin’s also done).
Watch the full video below:
An image taken from LG’s webOS SmartWatch page.
LG may have been one of Android Wear’s first supporters with its G Watch and upcoming G Watch R, but that doesn’t mean it has no plans to compete against it. The South Korean firm’s website confirms that it is developing a second smartwatch line powered by the webOS platform it acquired from HP back in 2013.
Screenshots: Tales of Pocoro/Google Play
While it may be possible to install and play regular Android games on your Android Wear watch, we recommend you don’t because it almost always results in a horrible user experience. Instead, why not play games specifically designed for the Android Wear platform, such as Tales of Pocoro, a new puzzle game that boasts more than 200 levels.
Minecraft running on a Gear Live. Screenshot: Killian Bell/Cult of Android
If your Minecraft addiction is so bad you need to play it on as many devices as possible, you’ll be pleased to hear it runs just fine on Android Wear. The 30-second video below shows the popular building game running smoothly on a Samsung Gear Live, with only its tiny display standing in the way of an enjoyable experience.
