Google says ‘Surf’s Up’ with Android Wear, but LG says ‘Stay Dry’
Earlier today, Google posted four new Android Wear commercials on YouTube showing how Google’s wearable platform has everything you need at just glance away. One of the videos dubbed ‘Surf’s up at a glance’ and embedded below, shows Android Wear’s destination card, giving the surfers traffic information so that they arrive on time. The LG G Watch used in the video lets the wearer know that there’s light traffic on I-101 North, so they have time to “go for one more.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNJPSsiu1FQ
The video ends as the two surfers excitedly headed towards the ocean with their boards. Given the title and the context of the video, one would assume that the surfer won’t be taking off his LG G Watch before he heads into the green room. However, according to LG’s official manual, he should do just that. LG says their smartwatch shouldn’t be used in salt water and it shouldn’t be worn while swimming. Now, I’ve never been surfing, but I’m fairly certain that swimming in the ocean plays a fairly large role in the sport.
This doesn’t mean the G Watch isn’t water resistant. The G Watch sports an IP67 rating, meaning complete protection of dust and protection against temporary water immersion between 15 centimeters and 1 meter for 30 minutes. LG just doesn’t recommend swimming in the ocean. Salt water can reek havoc on all sorts of electronics and if you’re swimming, there’s a good chance your watch will be at a depth greater than 1 meter from time to time. Feel free to wear your smartwatch in the shower or in the rain though.
Gnarly.