In 2022, the LG Watch Style smart watch appeared in the range of models of the South Korean brand. This gadget, like the more advanced Sport model, was created in fruitful collaboration with Google. The device runs the latest version of Android Wear 2 watch OS. Thanks to its small size and minimalist design, the model is suitable for wearing on the wrist of men and women, and is quite ready to compete with the Apple Watch for its “unisex” status. The following review of the new product is intended to help potential buyers make their choice.
Where did you get it?
In the American Google Play Store. Because at the time of ordering (March 21), nothing was known the start of sales of the LG Watch Style
Now I won’t talk about the nuances of purchasing an LG Watch Style in a foreign Play Store (it doesn’t work in Russia), it’s better to read our detailed instructions for ordering parcels from there here. I can only say that the procedure is very simple and guaranteed to be reliable. It’s not at all the same as buying in the American Apple Store. Without a “human” address in the States, this is almost impossible to do.
In my case, the delivery time to Kaluga was about 18 days, but it could have been a couple of days faster if I had not made a mistake in filling out the customs declaration. Well, I did it for the first time, so it’s forgivable. In general, there are no problems. You can also order a cheaper Google Pixel. It will cost 10 thousand less than gray supplies in Russia.
Why LG Watch Style?
At one time I dreamed of buying a Moto 360, but the dark bar at the bottom of the screen stopped me. The gadget looked very cool, but this black spot didn’t go anywhere.
Then the 1st generation Huawei Watch came out (review here). I was excited about this model, but when I found out the price, I immediately cooled down. Paying 30,000 rubles for a gadget from which you need two functions is a no-brainer.
Huawei Watch
Now many manufacturers are reconsidering their pricing policies for wearable devices, because the market is practically not growing. Those who wanted it have already bought a smart gadget for their hand a long time ago and are not going to change it - there is no point. And those who doubt it are not ready to pay more than 350-400 dollars for the sake of the experiment (whether you like it or not). Essentially, this is the cost of a modern and very cool smartphone (for example, this one), and you have to pay the same amount for a trinket, even a smart one.
And then LG Watch Style appeared on the horizon - a cool and minimalistic design, a round screen, a new system (Android Wear up to version 2 - quiet horror) and an adequate price tag. Why not buy something?
Unboxing
For the first time I got involved in this business, made a video and this is what came out of it. Please do not judge strictly, because this is almost my first experience.
Inside the package, I found a power supply with an American plug for 100-240 volts, an output power of 5 V and 0.85 A. There was also a cable with a USB plug at one end and with real wireless charging at the other. The watch is placed on the platform on either side and off you go - the power is on. There are no connectors here.
I didn't find anything else interesting. They did not put spare straps in the box, because the watches are already very affordable. By the way, they are sold separately for 50 bucks for silicone and 60 dollars for leather versions. Not bad, right?
Design and convenience
In real life the watch looks no worse than in the renderings. Beautiful, thin (10.79 mm), neat. They fit perfectly on the hand and do not look out of place.
My wrist is not very wide, and therefore the same Huawei Watch 2 looks on my hand like some kind of Pip-Boy 3000. This order of things is no good.
The body is made of steel (!) 316L.
In other words, this is jewelry steel, from which classic watches, jewelry, luxury telephone models, surgical instruments or expensive kitchen utensils are made. In general, the material will not fall flat on its face.
The front of the case is matte, not painted, but simply processed in a special way. There is every reason to believe that it is not susceptible to scratches. Still steel.
There is mirror processing on the sides and this is a risk area. Nothing happened in a week, but I am sure that scratches will appear over time.
The screen is covered with protective glass Corning Gorilla Glass 3. Not the latest generation, but it’s not needed here. The 5th version of the “gorilla” is characterized by increased resistance to falls, but the watch from your hand is unlikely to fall to the floor. And the weight is not enough to break.
The only thing that bothers me on the front side is the very noticeable frames around the screen.
The display is completely round, but there is a gap of one and a half to two millimeters between it and the body. It doesn't look very good, but maybe I'm being picky.
Of the control buttons, there is only a scroll wheel, which also doubles as a button to return to the watch face or go to applications. It is nicely stylized to resemble the crown of a classic watch. Is it really needed? No.
Modern Android Wear can be controlled without any physical buttons at all, so this wheel on the side is just for decoration. Unfortunately, there is no vibration feedback when scrolling.
On the back there is a plastic plug and a pair of holes for microphones. It is clear that there is no heart rate sensor here. Otherwise, the watch would have to be made at least 3 millimeters thicker. We don't need it.
Another material that you are not ashamed of is genuine Italian leather. The strap is made from it. It’s gratifying that the manufacturer did not include a silicone piece in the kit, they say, if you want something with more status, be so kind as to buy it separately. And here a normal bracelet is already included in the kit.
The strap clasp is neat. The design is simple and ergonomic. Of course, the strap needs to be tightened enough to prevent the watch from dangling. In this case, it is not very convenient to remove it; you need to bend the bracelet strongly to open the clasp. As a result, traces of these bends instantly appear on the strap. I don’t know whether this is good or bad, but in six months the bracelet will look like a devil with horns. I guarantee it.
Leather strap wears out quickly
Attaching the bracelet is a separate matter.
This is the most convenient mechanism I have ever encountered. I pulled back the lever and the strap fell off. No need to grow your nails, pry off tiny tongues, get into invisible holes - all this horror is not here.
Do you need to replace the supplied strap with something else from a watch store? Please!
The pin for attaching the bracelet can be easily removed, so there are no problems with this. You don't have to buy branded accessories for 50 bucks apiece.
⇡#About the interface
LG G Watch R runs Android Wear, which completely determines its software capabilities and shell, if you do not take into account the various dials, some of which are made exclusively for the first and so far only round watch. LG has made sure that the user can choose the dial to suit his taste: there are more than twenty pointer, planetary, digital and combined time display options to choose from. Some dials can display additional useful information: the number of steps taken, a compass, an altimeter.
Screen
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Android Wear in this case is both good and bad at the same time. It’s good because this is a standard - you won’t have to get used to a round clock after a square one, and in general this interface should slowly become familiar to users. In addition, applications will definitely be released for Wear, the system will be improved, and watches will be updated, fortunately Google did not repeat the mistakes of its youth and obliged all watch manufacturers to use a single interface.
It’s bad, because at the moment this interface still requires improvement and is not always convenient. In addition, the base Android Wear lacks what we think are obvious features like a smart alarm clock or phone finder. Moreover, if the second function is implemented using a simple and free Wear Buddy application, albeit unfinished, but working as it should, then only the Sleep As Android application can use Wear as a smart alarm clock, and it does it poorly. According to smartwatch owners, the modest battery capacity of wearable electronics is not enough to satisfy the appetite of the program, as a result of which any representative of the Android Wear family runs out in less than eight hours, leaving the user without an alarm clock.
In general, Android Wear at this stage is something like Android 1.6 - it already works, but it is very far from being a full-fledged operating system that is pleasant to use. And efforts here are needed both from Google itself and from application developers - without them, watches on Android Wear are still not smart enough, they are only capable of broadcasting notifications. For example, an application like Lifelog for Sony SmartWatch 3 would be very useful. There is only a program standard for all smart Google watches, with which it is convenient to configure the watch, but you will not be able to view all kinds of statistics. Perhaps LG should create its own such app.
Display
We are dealing with a P-OLED screen and this is bad.
The company installed exactly the same type of matrix in the LG G Flex and Flex 2. Do you know what’s cool about this type of screen? The fact is that its structure is visible on a dark gray background. It's like it's made of paper. It's difficult to explain, it's better to see it in person.
- diagonal 1.2 inches
- matrix type P-OLED
- resolution 360 x 360 pixels
There is grain on the screen. I wouldn't call 299 ppi dot density sufficient. I would like to get a higher resolution, but I can live with that
But what really bothers me is the viewing angles.
Under extreme tilts, the colors fade and a clearly visible blue tint appears. The downside is not that it is noticeable to you, but that others see it. An outsider notices that there is some kind of faded, incomprehensible picture on the display - and this does not make the best impression. It’s like holding a Chinese handicraft with a low-quality IPS screen.
Believe me, I have something to compare with. At the same time I use Huawei Watch 2, and there is an AMOLED screen installed here. It does not fade, but only turns slightly green, however, the picture remains just as clear, bright and juicy. This is another matter. True, there is a rather aggressive PenTile, but that's another conversation.
Unfortunately, the shortcomings of the Watch Style screen don't end there. According to my feelings, there is an air gap between the protective glass and the matrix. The picture seems to be recessed into the body and for an accessory like a smart watch, this is not good.
Overall, the display is the weakest point of the LG Watch Style. It really ruins the experience of using the gadget.
Appearance
The watch is quite thick – 14.2 mm, but for a man’s hand this basically means nothing.
They are massive, which is why they look very cool, although the taste and color of course...
The Watch Sport case is made of 316 L steel - the brushed metal is very nice.
Rubber strap. In fact, it is replaceable if you have a screwdriver, but it will be difficult to find a suitable one, just externally, but if anything - 22 mm.
The watch sits comfortably on the hand, but it is really large, with a diameter of 45 mm, this is not a women's version, although I cannot say that it is heavy, only 90 g.
This is how the watch looks in comparison with the first generation Huawei Watch.
Compared to Apple Watch 42 mm.
Functions
Android Wear before the arrival of the second version was not that terrible. She was just miserable. The menu was slow, the navigation structure was very strange, large, uninformative icons. In addition, you had to remember a million gestures: here you need to swipe left, here you only need to swipe down, but here you can swipe right and left - go crazy!
Now the system has been slightly redrawn, rethought and optimized. Not that it has become a completely different “axis”, no. Before us is the already familiar Android Wear, it’s just become much more logical and thoughtful.
I only need two functions from a smartwatch: displaying the time and notifications that come to my smartphone. With the first one, everything is clear - a convenient feature that has been tested for centuries. The situation with notifications is as follows.
The smartphone is in a bag or backpack, because there is simply no room in the front jeans pocket for modern shovels. The device received some message and it was immediately displayed on your watch. You just need to raise your hand to evaluate whether it’s worth reaching into your backpack for a smartphone or whether the action can wait. Moreover, the notification can be read in its entirety, and not just part of it. The only pity is that it still remains unread on the smartphone.
Moreover. Now you can respond to notifications (mail, Viber, WhatsApp, Skype, etc.) directly from your smartwatch. There is handwriting input and text recognition, and there is also a full keyboard with continuous input. The latter is, of course, a perversion. Believe me, it’s easier to reach into your bag for your phone than to write neat lines on a tiny keyboard. Quick answers come to the rescue, which are pre-entered into the device’s memory.
LG Watch Style supports Google Assistant. However, the same support should be available in a smartphone, and in addition, the assistant only understands English for now. In general, this is a foundation for the future. The usual voice command “Ok, Google” works great.
Of course, there are all the necessary functions for counting physical activity: a million sports, walking, sleep tracking - all this is implemented through third-party applications or in the updated Google Fit. Perhaps this is the first application that you need to install and configure for yourself. Let it be.
Huawei Watch 2 (left) and LG Watch Style (right)
By the way, access to the Google Play Store is available right on the watch - all the programs suitable for the gadget are displayed there, which is very convenient. It's a little inconvenient that applications cannot be sent to the watch directly from the smartphone.
Specifications LG Watch Style W270
- 1.2-inch P-OLED display 360 x 360 pixels (299 ppi)
- Protective glass Corning Gorilla Glass 3
- Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor with a frequency of 1.1 GHz
- RAM 512 MB
- 4 GB built-in storage
- Android Wear OS 2.0 (2.0.0.152501970)
- iOS and Android compatibility, including 7.1.1
- battery 240 mAh
- wireless standards: Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n) / Bluetooth 4.2 LE
- sensors: accelerometer, light sensor, gyroscope, vibration motor
- 316L steel body
- protection against moisture and dust IP67
- Dimensions: 42.3 × 45.7 × 10.8 mm
- weight 46 grams
What I really miss about Watch Style is dynamics. The watch cannot be used as a Bluetooth headset.
And as my experience with Huawei Watch 2 (it has a speaker) has shown, this is a really useful feature. There are different situations in life, and it is not always possible to reach the phone. And here you have the opportunity to answer directly from your wrist and that’s cool! Until it got hot, I also didn’t perceive this function.
Watch Style has been deprived of NFC for some unknown reason.
So you can forget about wireless payment for hours. And this despite the fact that Android Pay will start very soon in Russia.
There are no problems connecting to the phone. The first connection occurs quickly and painlessly. Subsequently, the connection is not lost, and after removing the smartphone from the watch at a decent distance, it is restored.
Gadget capabilities
The device accurately determines the pulsation frequency. The accuracy of the indicators depends on the location of the sensor. It is located on the back wall of the watch, which allows it to be in tight and secure contact with the wrist. The gadget is also capable of measuring heartbeat.
Other useful features of the LG Watch Urbane include:
- Gyroscope sensor
- Built-in compass
- Built-in barometer
Each of the measuring functions shows an accurate result. No malfunctions, freezes or other problems were detected. If a problem occurs, the manufacturer recommends pressing the reset button.
The internal design of the device can be changed. This was done for variety. In case you get bored with the standard installed chronograph, you can download another one. The selection of watch faces in app stores is very large, and most of the screensavers are free. The variety of designs allows you to choose a chronograph in accordance with your taste preferences.
Battery life
What do you want from a thin smart device with a 240mAh battery? Weekly autonomy? Well, you give it!
Watch Style works day and night. Charged it at 8 am, put it on your hand, you receive notifications all day, look at your watch, check your calendar and maps - by 10 pm the charge is 10 percent.
However, there is a plus to this. You don’t need to remember: “Okay, yesterday I charged them, so it’s not necessary today” or “Stop! Did I charge my watch yesterday or not? Hm…". If the autonomy were at the level of 2-3 days, then one could simply get confused. And so, you go to bed, put your smartphone and smart watch on charge, and this procedure is done every day. Fortunately, wireless charging allows you to do this casually and very conveniently. You can attach it to your bedside table with double-sided tape once and for all.
Screen
Here the pOLED matrix is 1.38 inches in diameter and the resolution is 480x480 pixels.
It's impossible to see the pixels - this is the best display on any smartwatch, and it's very bright.
In the settings you can also set automatic brightness adjustment, although where the light sensor is, it is not visible, but it is there.
