LG hasn't made a smartwatch since earlier this year (it decided to sit out the remainder of 2016), but the Korean manufacturer is looking ahead to 2017 and what it could bring for the company. Trademark filings from November 28, 2016 show that LG is considering four new smartwatch names for upcoming devices: 1) Watch Style, 2) Watch Pro, 3) Watch Force, and 4) Watch Sole. There's a fifth name, "Watch Pay," which refers to a "mobile payment application (software) for smartphone" and other mobile devices, including "mobile payment application (software) for smartwatch." This may refer to the LG Pay service that is said to arrive in 2017 and focus on MST technology (the same as that used currently in Samsung's own Samsung Pay).
We don't know if these products will ever see the light of day, but most companies don't file them without some intent to bring them to the market. The Watch Style will probably be more for those who want great design, the Watch Pro for those who want better specs and functionality (including 4G LTE connectivity, perhaps); the Watch Force may relate to a ruggedized smartwatch, and the Watch Sole may refer to just a 4G-connected watch or something akin to Samsung's Gear S (the "S" stood for "Solo" here).
In any case, LG will let us know in time just what these names stand for and what character the smartwatches themselves will have. As for the mobile payment system, Watch Pay, it will likely arrive for smartphones with the LG G6 -- so we'll have to wait until Mobile World Congress 2017 to find out. We'll be back to let you know more as we get more.
For now, though, what do you think about LG's upcoming smartwatch names? Do you think 4 different smartwatches are simply too many for the market, or are you interested in lots of choices?
