Google partnered with LG to launch two brand new smartwatches along with the release of Android Wear 2.0. Both devices are a powerhouse in the wearables market. They have almost everything they need to be a standalone device, including LTE, GPS, and NFC. They don’t need to be connected to a cell phone to receive data, send text messages, and make calls.
The Watch Style has a smaller and lower-resolution screen but this is hardly a cause for concern. And its round screen combined with an Apple Watch-like size which is something quite new in the smartwatch world.
Here it’s important to mention that LG made the Watch Style quite stylish yet simple keeping its look and feel like a traditional timepiece. It has achieved this by keeping the device’s footprint relatively small and thin. Built out of stainless steel, the Watch Style features a 1.2-inch P-OLED display. The only hardware item that sticks out from the body of the watch is a digital crown. This is used as a home/power button as well as a scroll wheel for navigating the interface. Apart from that, you get Google Assistant, the company’s new voice-controlled AI that will get smarter over time. You can trigger it with a long press of the power button.
The LG Watch Style does not have the best display in the smartwatch market, it’s of average quality. It has a 1.2-inch P-OLED display having a 360×360 pixel resolution at 299 ppi. While I really didn’t have any issues reading text on the Style’s display, images and applications appeared to be slightly pixelated. The Style has a built-in ambient light sensor that’s located underneath the display, which can detect if the brightness of the watch needs to be turned up or down.
One of the best things about the Watch Style is having a small battery that can be fully charged in a very short time period. And, as it uses wireless charging, all you have to do is to place the smartwatch onto a puck-like charger that comes in the box and it will start charging.
The LG Watch Style is one of the first smartwatches to run Android Wear 2.0 out of the box and it’s more than clear that Google and LG worked together to perfect the software experience. While the updated operating system is by far better than the outgoing phones, the matchup of the Style’s hardware and AW 2.0 is perfect.
Summing up…
The LG Watch Style isn’t a bad option for those users looking for a solid smartwatch that doesn’t have hockey-puck-like proportions. Android Wear 2.0, the rotating power button and its thin-mint design make it a solid package. But without heart-rate tracking, mobile payments or GPS, and with its mediocre battery life, you may find better options if you can wait for a while.
