Google has declared that it will be rolling out cellular calling and data support for Android Wear devices very soon. It means that users will be able to make calls and receive calls or get direct internet access from independently from their Android Wear based wearable gadgets.
What more, it can still be used as a regular watch. As of now, present generation of Android Wear devices can only receive and make calls when paired with smartphones. Currently, both phone and watch have to be within a specified range to ensure optimum performance but with this upgrade things will change. OEMs will be able to implement SIM card support without straying away from Google’s ecosystem.
Recently announced LG G watch Urbane 2nd Edition LTE is the first on the list to receive this cellular support update. The attractive watch comes with a circular dial with wears a 1.38-inch 480×480 P-OLED display. Under the hood there is a 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 processor along with 768MB RAM, 4GB internal storage, heart rate monitor, LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 570mAh battery. The new LG smartwatch also comes with IP67 certification.
The other Korean giant Samsung already has a couple of watches with SIM card and 3G supported, however it prefers to use its own Tizen OS. Apple is yet to make a move in this direction.
Googles move clearly implies there is consumer demand for independently proficient Smartwatches, but in our opinion, the added toll on battery doesn’t make it a worthwhile option. Afterall, we don’t want our smartwatches to evolve into minuscule smartphones. They should surely add more value to justify their existence.
