LG brings cellular connectivity to its latest Android Wear smartwatch

LG has unveiled the Watch Urbane 2nd Edition as the successor to its original Watch Urbane. The new smartwatch is the first Android Wear device to come with cellular connectivity.

Unlike all the existing Android Wear smartwatches, the LG Watch Urbane 2nd Edition is the first Android Wear smartwatch that has LTE and 3G cellular connectivity to enable real-time notifications even when the connected Android or iOS device is not within range. The presence of cellular connectivity on the new smartwatch makes it a strong competitor to offerings like the Apple Watch and the new Motorola Moto 360. Moreover, the company has provided a tweaked Android Wear version that supports cellular connectivity and runs most of the popular apps and watch faces.

The smartwatch sports a 1.38-inch P-OLED display with 480 x 480 pixels resolution that delivers a pixel density of 348ppi. Under the hood, there is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 chipset with a 1.2GHz quad-core CPU and 768MB of RAM. The smartwatch comes with 4GB eMMC storage to let users easily store all their favourite apps and watch faces.

LG has pre-installed 16 watch faces and fitness-related features such as heart rate tracking, workout tips; stress level monitoring comes preloaded on the smarwatch. Further, there are all the features that Google has provided on the latest Android Wear version, including Ambient and Power Saving modes.

In terms of wireless connectivity, the second-generation Watch Urbane has Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.1, alongside LTE and 3G. There is a 570mAh battery that is claimed last throughout the day on a single charge.

LG Watch Urbane 2nd Edition features:

• 1.38-inch P-OLED display with 348ppi pixel density
• 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor
• 768MB of RAM, 4GB storage
• LTE, 3G, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity
• 570mAh battery
• Runs on Android Wear OS with cellular connectivity support
• Android and iOS compatibility

The LG Watch Urbane 2nd Edition is designed with a 'hairline-etched' stainless steel body and comes with a hypoallergenic TPSiV elastomer band. These inputs take the new smartwatch a bit closer to its predecessor. Besides, there is IP67 certification to offer dust and water resistance.

LG has not yet revealed the price of the Watch Urbane 2nd Edition, though it is expected to be higher than the first-generation Watch Urbane. However, it said that the new smarwatch will be available first in the United States and Korea followed by Europe, CIS, Asia and the Middle East.