LG teases circular smartwatch

If it only feels like weeks since the South Korean tech company launched a smartwatch, that's because it was. The LG G watch only went on sale beyond the US or UK in July, yet the company is already gearing up to launch another at the IFA consumer show in Germany on September 4.

The new watch will sport a circular display and will be called the 'R' in reference to its rounded appearance. And, based on the teaser video uploaded to LG's official YouTube account, in terms of appearance, at least, it is much better looking than the aforementioned G Watch.

LG isn't giving any clues as to what the timepiece will be capable of doing, other than that its display will be an uninterrupted circle and that it will run on Android Wear, Google's special operating system for wearable tech devices.

So, there's no word as to whether or not it will have a heart rate sensor or integrated pedometer, for example.

The decision to launch another new watch so quickly could be to stop Motorola from hogging the smartwatch limelight. The eagerly awaited, massively hyped Moto 360 is going to make its official debut at the same time and, like the LG 'R,' has a round face and is focused on design as much as on function.

However, this course of action could also make the company one or two enemies. How will this make early adopters feel, the ones that have already taken a chance on the G Watch, only to discover that if they'd waited just a few weeks they could have snapped up something more stylish?

This year's IFA, the biggest dedicated consumer technology show in Europe, is expected to be overflowing with smartwatches. As well as the now confirmed LG 'R' watch and the aforementioned Moto 360, Asus, Sony and Samsung are also expected to launch new smartwatches at the same event. There are also reports that Pebble will be unveiling an updated, color-screen version of its original Pebble Watch.