LG is all set to release its second-generation Urbane Android Wear watch in this spring season. The new Urbane is the first Android Wear watch to boast of 4G LTE connectivity. In the sneak peek video, the watch appears a bit chunky, though it comes with only a marginally bigger screen.
Its predecessor, LG Watch Urbane, was also 4G LTE enabled, but was running company’s proprietary OS, just like Samsung’s Gear S. This time, LG has embraced Android Wear, which means more apps in the app store and better community support at user end.
The Korean maker has smartly utilized watchbands to embed some necessary hardware. One of the hardware that is hidden inside one of these bands is a cellular radio that manages Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GSM, and LTE signals. This smart inclusion of cellular radio earned Urbane the tag of first Android Wear watch with LTE connectivity, but not without a cost.
Now, unlike previous generation Urbane customers, the buyers of 2nd generation won’t have the luxury of swapping bands. This could be a deal breaker for many, as customizable straps are important for a gadget that also doubles as a fashion accessory.
On the plus side, with the availability of data connection, you won’t always have to keep your watch paired with your phone. As demonstrated in the preview video, the watch can be used to receive phone calls independently.
The manufacturer has added two additional buttons in the new watch to offer quick access to dedicated features. LG has used a higher resolution 480×480 plastic-OLED display with 348PPI. Other than this, second generation watch houses a Snapdragon 400 processor coupled with 4GB of storage and 768MB of RAM. Sensors onboard include an accelerometer, gyroscope, barometer and GPS chip.
LG has so far not uttered a word about the pricing or release date of Urbane 2nd generation smartwatch. We expect the watch to arrive first in the United States and maker’s homeland Korea.
Key Specifications:
- Chipset: 1.2GHz Qualcomm SnapdragonTM 400
- Operating System: Android Wear (Cell-connected Version)
- Display: 1.38-inch P-OLED Display (480 x 480 / 348ppi)
- Size: 44.5 x 14.2mm
- Memory: 4GB eMMC / 768MB LPDDR3
- Battery: 570mAh
- Network: Bluetooth 4.1 / Wi-Fi / LTE / 3G
- Sensors: Accelerometer / Gyro / Compass / Barometer / PPG / GPS
- Color: Space Black / Opal Blue / Luxe White / Signature Brown
- Others: Dust and Water Resistance (IP67)
