LG Watch Style Review: Cheap and Stylish (Video)

Along with the LG Watch Sport that was announced a bit ago, LG also launched the smaller, potentially more stylish and therefore aptly named, LG Watch Style. After using it for a bit, think we’re ready for a review.

As with the LG Watch Sport review I just did, which you can check out here, the LG Watch Style is the other watch to launch with Android Wear 2.0, Google’s serious overhaul of their wearable operating system.

Check out the LG Watch Sport video review here.

Android Wear 2.0

As I also mentioned in the Sport review, Android Wear 2.0 is a big part of why the watch has specific features, but since the new update is already confirmed to be coming to a bunch of other devices later, they’ll all get those new features when that happens. So, basically don’t use these features as the only reasons why you want this watch – unless, of course, you are just that impatient, which I can actually totally understand and won’t judge you for. With that said, I’m going to go over some of the features in Android Wear 2.0 that I love since they need to be said if you didn’t watch my Watch Sport review. But, if you did, then this is going to be much of the same so you can just skip down to the next section.

The entire UI has changed –for the better. From easily swappable watch faces that you can customize with information and shortcuts and then swipe between depending on which watch face you might need at the moment, to  smoother transitions and menus, to a just an overall more intuitive design.

My favorite features in Android Wear 2.0 so far are notifications being more robust and having a lot more actions that you can take with them based on what app is sending them, and having a keyboard on the watch. I know that sounds ridiculous but in practice it’s actually sort of useful.

You can now respond to texts, emails, etc. by swiping on a tiny keyboard that is actually pretty accurate (you can also type but that is actually ridiculous). I like it because for short messages at least, I can respond without having to use voice to text and making whatever the conversation is about public to everyone around me and it’s also fast enough that I don’t feel the need to take out my phone to type that short message instead.

Lastly, something that’s super interesting about the new Android Wear 2.0 is the fact it has a standalone app store. Essentially what that means is that instead of the apps being companion apps to their phone counterparts, they are actually their own self contained apps on the watch. This allows you to limit the number of apps on the watch since you don’t have to install everything that is on the phone and developers can make apps that are specific to the watch stand out better in the watch only store as opposed to mixed in with the plethora of regular phone apps on the Play Store.

In addition to these new features found in Wear 2.0, it, of course has all the features you are used to from 1.0 like fitness tracking, GPS, heart-rate monitor, music controls, etc.

Styling & Specs

At roughly the same size as the old Huawei Watch, which I was a big fan of, it’s pretty small (in a good way). Unlike its rather bulky, in my opinion, sibling the LG Watch Sport, the LG Watch Style aims to look more like a real watch.

In fact, in the weight department, it’s the opposite of the LG Watch Sport. It has to be the lightest smartwatch I’ve ever used. With times honestly forgetting slightly that I even had it on.

The watch face has a stainless steel casing around a 1.2″ P-OLED screen with 360×360 pixel resolution. That makes it 0.1 inches smaller than the Watch Sport but with a slightly higher pixel density.

You can navigate the screen using touch like normal, but there is also a rotating dial on the side that allows you to scroll through menus, notifications, etc. and can also be pushed down to go to the watch face or to open the app drawer.

Also, unlike the Watch Sport, it features Android Wear’s MODE swappable bands and comes with one that says it’s leather but if we’re honest has a spongey quality to the band that reminds me less of cow hide and more of stryrofoam. At least though, you can head to the Google Play store and swap them out if the mood strikes you.

Along with that, it has a 500mbs of RAM, the new Qualcomm processor designed specifically for Android Wear called the Snapdragon Wear (the same one found in the Sport version), and it has 4GBs of internal storage like the Sport as well. This internal storage can be used for apps but also for downloading music from the Google Play Music store directly to the watch should you want to pair a bluetooth headset to it and play music from it without the phone, for example. (It has no speaker so you’ll have to pair a Bluetooth headset and also can’t use it Dick Tracy style for phone calls either).

Thing is, leaving your phone behind is probably not what LG wanted you to do with the Style though since it lacks a few things that would be helpful in that department. Besides the LTE – which I mentioned in the Watch Sport video which allows you to get calls, text and use data without the phone nearby – it’s also missing GPS and a heart-rate monitor that I’m sure any serious runner or biker, etc would probably also like to have.

It does however track steps and has Google Fit to track workouts/reps etc. but just won’t account for changes in heart rate like other fitness bands do.

Battery Life

As far as battery life is concerned. It lasts from when I wake up to when I go to bed and for my gadgets that’s the best I usually can hope for.

Conclusion

Overall, the thing I love most about this watch is the fact it looks like a real watch which I will always prefer over other devices that scream “I’m a smartwatch” to any passers-by. And frankly, if you wanted a watch that could tell the time like your analog watch but still had the added features of notifications, that responding via swiping keyboard, some moderate fitness tracking, and looked pretty good this would be an option. The other watch I’d probably recommend that would give you that same concept and more as soon as the Android Wear 2.0 update makes it’s way to it but also looks a little bit better in my opinion is the Huawei Watch. Also, Huawei has already announced they will showcase a similarly styled Huawei Watch 2 at Mobile World Congress which is right around the corner and that means better features than the original Huawei but also means the old Huawei will surely drop in price.

And right now, the only reason I’d recommend the Watch Style over the Huawei (besides the crown that I like and the swappable bands) is that right, this moment at least, it’s $100 cheaper.

There you go guys, let me know what you thought of this review and the Watch Style in the comments below, love to hear from you. If you liked this article by the way, please share it, it’s greatly appreciated!