Less than two weeks after revealing the LG Watch Urbane, the Life’s Good crew has introduced a second version of its latest wearable.
The LG Watch Urbane LTE [Google Translate] is exactly what it sounds like: an LTE-enabled version of the LG Watch Urbane. The new LG Watch Urbane boasts LTE connectivity and can make Voice over LTE phone calls, conduct walkie-talkie radio chats, share your location, and more. And since the LG Watch Urbane has built-in LTE, you can do all of that without needing a smartphone to pair the device with.
In addition to the LTE connectivity, the LG Watch Urbane LTE features NFC-based wallet support. When you’re wearing the Watch Urbane LTE, you can tap it to a compatible terminal and pay for goods.
Since it’s got new features like built-in LTE connectivity, the LG Watch Urbane LTE is running a custom LG operating system, not Android Wear like the regular model. However, LG notes that the Watch Urbane LTE is compatible with Android smartphones running version 4.4 KitKat or higher.
Another hardware change made to the LG Watch Urbane LTE is its battery. LG beefed this model’s battery up to 700mAh, which is considerably larger than the LG Watch Urbane’s 450mAh juice pack. Since it’s got LTE and support for mobile payments, though, an increase in battery size is no surprise.
The final big change from the LG Watch Urbane and LG Watch Urbane LTE is the number of buttons on the side of the unit. While the LG Watch Urbane has just one button on its side, LG the Watch Urbane LTE has two additional buttons: the top button accesses the Quick Settings menu that’ll show battery usage, volume, and more, while the bottom button is for going back a step in the OS.
There’s no word on when the LG Watch Urbane LTE might launch or how much it’ll cost when it does. It’s definitely an interesting option for folks that want a standalone smartwatch that can make phone calls and use data, though, and it’s got a bit of a classier design than the other recently-released cellular-capable smartwatch, the Samsung Gear S.
Do smartwatches that have their own cellular connections interest you? Or are you content with wearables that connect to your smartphone?
