[custom:mwc15]LG has announced a new variant of its premium all-metal smartwatch, the Watch Urbane LTE. The smartwatch – which will make its debut at Mobile World Congress next week – features a similar design as the Watch Urbane, but comes with beefier hardware thanks to the addition of an LTE radio that allows you to make calls over VoLTE.
The Watch Urbane LTE features the same 1.3-inch plastic OLED display and 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 CPU as its non-LTE variant, with the RAM doubled to 1GB. Internal storage is the same at 4GB. The 9-axis sensors (gyro / acceleration / compass) as well as the barometric pressure sensor, heart rate sensor and GPS are retained, with the watch scoring the aforementioned LTE and NFC connectivity. A noticeable difference between the two variants is that the LTE model features three buttons on the side whereas the standard Watch Urbane features a single button, with LG stating that the extra buttons are for navigation and easy access to quick settings.
To account for the increased battery drain that comes with LTE, the battery has been boosted to 700mAh on the Watch Urbane LTE, which is almost double that of the 410mAh sported by the Watch Urbane. LG says that the watch will be offered in silver trim with no mention on whether it'll also be offered in gold.
The watch comes with the ability to conduct walkie-talkie style voice chats, and the inclusion of NFC means that the Watch Urbane LTE is one of the first smartwatches to facilitate mobile payments. LG says that you'll be able to tap your wrist to pay for services without having to use your phone, although at this stage details are sparse as to how the functionality would work.
Seeing as how Android Wear currently does not support NFC, integrated cellular connectivity or the three-button configuration LG is offering, it is likely the Watch Urbane LTE is running webOS. Audi displayed a webOS-based smartwatch – made in collaboration with LG – at CES earlier this year, and the Watch Urbane LTE shares a few similarities with that device, including a three-button configuration, NFC and standalone cellular connectivity. While there's no official mention of the software the Watch Urbane LTE is running, we'll know more once we get a closer look at the watch at MWC.
Source: LG (translated)
Reader comments
LG Watch Urbane nabs LTE connectivity and NFC-based payments, loses Android Wear
Uh oh. Better keep this one away from HP.
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It would had to have been originally running Android Wear in order to lose it. :-)
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What's with the plastic screens? Nothing fancy about that.
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The LCD itself is plastic, not the digitizer. That's still glass. Somebody makes this mistake at least once per article that mentions a "plastic screen".
I do wish android wear supported NFC but not sure I need LTE in my watch yet...
It will with an update, just needs to be faster. Maybe things will improve now that google announced the new pay api and the push for google wallet.
Hmm looks like a nice backup watch to my Gear S ! If I can text from anywhere and take calls like on it my Gear S, this is freaking awesome. These great options just is not possible with Android Wear..
I heard it was running Tizen..lol Looks pretty cool though. Not sure why Android Wear doesn't support NFC, seems odd. I'll stick with the Gear S though.
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I guess it could run tizen since it is open os also but webos would be even better. If this is running tizen then android wear better step up.
Someone above mentioned the Sony SW3 has NFC so it seems AndroidWear does support it somehow.
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Another wake up call to Google.
Hey! LG, I was joking when I asked for the Audi smartwatch to be thrown into the pot. God damn you.
And now that I can't decide which watch to buy, I'll wait and I think I'll base my pick on two factors: price and battery life. The one with the best relation price/battery life will be the one I buy.
Which means if this one running webOS instead of Android Wear offers better battery life for the same amount of money, I'll get it. It's not like one is missing a whole lot by ditching Android Wear now when it's still so undeveloped.
Top two factors for you are price to battery ratio? Pebble hands down for you then. Looks? Not so much.
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damn and just after i ordered the pebble time
Me too surely there's a way to cancel. Off to check.
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: ). I just cancelled mine. (log in, hit the item click "manage", scroll down and cancel). ☺
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These watchfaces never look as good or realistic live as they do in photos.
That may very well not be the case with this watch though because it is not constrained by Android Wears' resolution limitation since it's running WebOS instead. The Audi watch looked really good so hopefully the same will be true of this variant.
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With some fine sandpaper and a Dremel Tool you can basically turn an LG G Watch R into an Urbane. Worth it since the black paint chips off the GWR anyway.
Hoping to see the next iteration of the moto 360. Bigger battery+newer snapdragon soc. Anyone know what the update cycle for android wear is?
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Wait a second: this is "one of the first watches" to have NFC, when THE first is still the Sony Smartwatch 3.
And that sports Android Wear. And it has GPS and WiFi. And now thank to God it's available in stainless steel (version I bought instead of the cheap rubber bands).
I'm not interested in having a cell phone on my wrist, notifications are more than enough.
If on the other hand Android Wear will be NFC compatible, I'll be more than happy to already have it, since I've been paying with my phone in store since the day the technology has been available.
Let's give Sony some credit when it deserves it.
Now I have to well my Asus Zenwatch -_-
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It's a shame it's not Android Wear. If it were I'd seriously consider replacing my Motorola 360. I'm just too used to Android Wear now to move to something else.
Posted via the Android Central App on the 2nd Gen. Moto X
Its gonna be so expensive...no way it goes for less then 450$
Posted via My G2
I just want that watch face!
LTE on a watch doesn't interest me, but the ability to make NFC payments would be really useful.
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Absolutely. It's the one feature of the Apple Watch that had me really jealous.
I couldn't care less about the LTE either, though. Unless this watch has something very different going on, the battery life with LTE on must just be awful.
If it works like the Gear S (granted it's 3G ), It's a great back up. Not meant to be a main device always running on LTE.. On my Gear S I love the connectivity options, Bluetooth/WiFi/3G, It auto switches between the three so I'm always connected to my phone. I barely touch my phone these days! At work my phone stays on my desk and I traverse the building all day without my phone. My battery lasts two days easy switching back and forth and I have the lil battery cradle just in case..
webOS watch, baby!
Is this the Audi watch?
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The hp veer came out a few years ago
Posted via Android Central App on 1+1
Derek, I've been reading your stuff since it Pre+, so I know you're as excited as I am!
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My*
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YES! We're moving in the right direction here. WebOS Nation out of the Mobile Nation reject rack, anyone? I still have never had a better phone than my Pre+...
Hell mf yes. !
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Been waiting for the next evolution of the smart watch and it looks like we are headed in the right direction.
Next-us
So it's much more than just fancier looking than the gwar. I'm liking this!
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oh my, now LG Electronics should incorporate biometric authentication to the watch wearer for instant approval of NFC payments and you just took everything up a notch. its early days but there's promise and potential here. that said I don't want LTE on my watch but Ill take the bigger battery,
The real "Dick Tracy" or "Bond" Watch.
"Shaken, not Stirred."
Galaxy Note 4
Galaxy S III
LG G2
If it ain't Tech, it ain't Right.