Google and LG have now introduced their two latest Android Wear 2.0-running smartwatches, the LG Watch Sport and the LG Watch Style. While the two watches are similar in some respects, there are some differences that are worth taking note of. For starters, the LG Watch Sport is the more premium-priced smartwatch as it will cost you $349.99 to pick up. Although, for that extra $100 (compared to the LG Watch Style’s $249.99 price), you are getting significantly more value for your money.
The first thing to note with the LG Watch Sport is that this is a standalone smartwatch thanks to its LTE-enabling. Which means you can buy this smartwatch and use it on its own data plan and not have to worry about it being tied to your smartphone to make and receive calls, get notifications, and so on. In addition, the LG Watch Sport also comes with NFC and GPS support. The former will allow you to make payments from your wrist using Android Pay, while the latter will allow you to make use of advanced exercise and navigation features. In short, this is Android Wear’s most powerful smartwatch to date and literally does cater to most smartwatch owners’ needs. In fact, Google has also now confirmed that the Watch Sport comes with dedicated Google Fit and Android Pay buttons – which should make using any of the exercise or payment features even better and even quicker. This in addition to a rotating power button which will help with quicker and more efficient navigation of apps and the operating system as a whole.
In terms of the actual specs, the LG Watch Sport comes equipped with a 1.38-inch full circle P-OLED display with a 480 x 480 resolution and a 348 ppi. Inside, the LG Watch Sport comes packing 768MB RAM, 4GB storage and is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor (clocking at 1.1 GHz). This is a smartwatch which is powered by a 430 mAh battery and as mentioned, comes running on Android Wear 2.0. Additional sensors include an accelerometer, gyroscope, PPG, barometer and an ambient light sensor, while connectivity can be established via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and NFC. Additional features worth noting include wireless charging and an IP68 dust and water-resistance certification.
In terms of its physical properties, the LG Watch Sport’s main watch body measures 45.4 mm by 51.21 mm by 14.2 mm and has been constructed using 316L stainless steel and Gorilla Glass 3, while the strap is made up of TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane). The LG watch Sport will be available in either Titanium or Dark Blue color options, although the Dark Blue option will only be available from the Google Store. Speaking of which, those looking to pick up the LG Watch Sport will either have to head to the Google Store or to AT&T and Verizon, as they are currently the only places that have been confirmed as places to buy Google and LG’s latest smartwatch.
