Cellular connectivity has eluded the grasp of Android Wear for the last year and a half the wearable platform has been alive for search engine giant Google (who has now spun into the Alphabet conglomerate). Now, however, times are indeed a-changin’. As of this past week, Google has announced cellular connectivity for Android Wear, and LG’s newest smartwatch is the first cellular-connected Android Wear smartwatch in mobile history.
LG Watch Urbane LTE 2015 Specs and Features
LG’s latest smartwatch, called the Watch Urbane LTE Second Edition, features 3G/4G LTE connectivity along with a 1.38-inch Plastic OLED (or P-OLED) display with a 480 x 480p screen resolution, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor, 768MB of RAM, 4GB of storage, and a 570mAh battery. As can be seen from the spec sheet, LG is sticking with its Plastic OLED displays, which have proven to be a differentiator for the Korean manufacturer. The 1.38-inch display makes the LG Watch Urbane LTE (2015) slightly wider than its competitor, the 1.2-inch AMOLED Samsung Gear S2, and the 570mAh battery should more than last the entire day.
LG’s decision to implement a larger battery here alongside of more RAM is a wise decision, seeing that the company can’t optimize the OS for improved battery life. Samsung’s Gear S2, on the other hand, is set apart because Samsung owns Tizen and is thus able to optimize the OS and smartwatch hardware to improve battery life with a smaller battery size. LG’s Watch Urbane LTE 2015 runs on Android Wear, which belongs to Google, not LG.
LG Watch Urbane LTE 2015 Availability and Cost
The LG Watch Urbane LTE 2015 is now available at AT&T, with the first LTE Android Wear smartwatch setting you back $199.99 with a two-year agreement or $299 off-contract. Keep in mind that you’ll have to pay $5 a month for the cellular service, but the good news is that AT&T will allow you to have one number for all your internet-connected devices via NumberSync – so you need not worry about keeping track of all your devices and multiple numbers.
As for Verizon, however, expect to pay a whopper of a price: $449.99 with a two-year agreement or $499.99 off-contract. When you look at how much more you’ll pay for the LG Watch Urbane LTE Second Edition, it pays (pun intended) to pay the additional $50 and have this watch off-contract than pay $50 less and be stuck under a two-year agreement with a $175 early termination fee (ETF) should you decide to cancel service in a few months. The smartwatch isn’t yet available at Verizon, with the carrier stating that pre-order availability is now open. LG’s LTE smartwatch should be available in retail stores on Thursday, November 19th, with Verizon promising pre-order customers that they will receive their units by Thursday as well.
Impressed by LG’s latest? Are you an Android Wear fan who sees the value in this smartwatch? Do you think LG poses a threat to Samsung in this smartwatch space, or do you think that Samsung is still king when it comes to smartwatches and cellular connectivity?
