E3 will ‘officially’ open to the public this year

E3 has traditionally been a media-only event — at least in theory. But starting in 2017, you won’t even need a WordPress account to get access to the latest and greatest in gaming. The Entertainment Software Association, which organizes the event, announced on Wednesday that it is reserving 15,000 tickets for the general public to attend the show. Each pass will cost $250 ($150 if you buy it before next Monday, February 13th) but they’ll grant you access to the show floor, panel discussions and other stuff from Tuesday to Thursday of E3.

The event organizers are also offering a new class of business passes. Aimed at lawyers, analysts and other stuffed shirt types, these passes will get you into the business lounge and grant priority access to the convention center.

This move comes after years of clamoring to open the event to the public. The ESA performed a small-scale experiment at last year’s event with E3 Live. This year takes it a step further with genuine public access. However, the ESA can’t guarantee that they’ll continue it next year so if you really want to see E3 but don’t want to blog about it, now may be your only chance.

Source: Gamestop

Google Debuts Android Wear 2.0 Alongside Two New LG Smart Watches

Google today announced the all-new Android Wear 2.0 operating system update for its line of Android-based smartwatches, alongside two new devices debuting this Friday, February 10: the LG Watch Sport and LG Watch Style. The LG Watch Sport includes a number of features that aligns it as a direct competitor to the Apple Watch, including a new “rotating power button” akin to the Digital Crown, NFC and mobile payments features, 4GB of internal storage, and more.

The biggest difference between Apple Watch and the new LG watches is their circular OLED display, which measures 1.38 inches on the LG Watch Sport and 1.20 inches on the LG Watch Style. The two new LG watches differ in a variety of other categories as well: the Style is thinner and has more strap customization options, but it lacks cellular connectivity, GPS, NFC, and has a smaller battery.

Specifically, users can purchase the Style in three design finishes — silver, rose gold, and titanium — and choose from a collection of “snap and swap” 18mm leather and silicone band options. Even though the Style lacks the Sport’s richer features, users can still bring up Google Assistant and perform other basic app-launching functions, according to Google.

That sets up the LG Watch Sport as the new flagship smartwatch from the company, with a built-in gyroscope, accelerometer, cellular connectivity, heart rate sensor, and GPS sensors to fuel a fitness-focused lifestyle, as well as NFC for Android Pay. There are also dedicated buttons for Google Fit and Android Pay so users can more quickly access these features, with Google calling it “Android Wear’s most powerful watch yet.”

The LG Watch Sport is available in titanium and blue with a high performance elastomer strap, but it’s non-customizable beyond this set-up. Those interested in the U.S. will be able to buy the LG Watch Style at Best Buy and the Google Store for $249, while the LG Watch Sport will be available at AT&T, Verizon, and the Google Store for $349. Both smartwatches launch on February 10, and more countries will begin selling the devices in the coming weeks.

Debuting alongside the new watches is Android Wear 2.0, which brings personalized watch faces, workout improvements, Google Assistant, and more to Android smartwatches. Users can now customize an always-on watch face to include more helpful information to glance at, which can be chosen from downloaded and supported apps. A quick swipe will bring up another watch face that can be pre-set with different information, similar to Apple’s watch face carousel update in watchOS 3.

You can now personalize your Android Wear always-on watch face with information and actions from your favorite apps. Simply glance at your wrist to check your next appointment, stock performance, progress on fitness goals, or whatever is important to you.

A quick tap on your watch face lets you instantly order an Uber ride, start a workout, or get in touch with your significant other. Interested in different info throughout the day? Just swipe to switch your watch face as you go from the office to the gym to dinner with friends and home again.

A cellular-connected Android Wear watch can also fuel better workouts, according to Google, thanks to the ability to stay in touch with calls and messages, stream Google Play Music off the watch and through Bluetooth headphones, and the addition of weight-lifting, push-up, sit-up, and squat rep counters. When a message is received, users can dictate or handwrite an answer, and “Smart Reply” includes intelligent, contextual responses based on the incoming message.

A number of sites have published reviews for both new smartwatches and Android Wear 2.0 today, including TechCrunch, The Verge, TIME, and more. The current consensus on Android Wear 2.0, as well as the LG Watch Style and LG Watch Sport, appears to be that the new products are a welcome addition to their respective categories, but still feel lacking. As The Verge pointed out in regard to the 2.0 update, “in a lot of ways, it’s just Google playing catch up to what Apple and Samsung were already doing.”

For Apple, an update to watchOS is in the works with an expected launch date sometime this year, although it’s still largely a mystery as to what might be included in watchOS 4. In the nearer future, watchOS 3.2 plans to introduce users to a “Theater Mode” that will mute sounds and disable Raise to Wake, preventing the screen from lighting up with arm movement and potentially disturbing other theatergoers.

In terms of hardware, Apple is expected to launch a third-generation Apple Watch alongside the tenth-anniversary iPhone in the fall of 2017. Apple Watch rumors remain unclear with the launch date so far out, with some suggesting the first major design overhaul is coming to the Apple Watch this year, while others have pointed to another minor update in 2017 with a focus on performance over design changes.

Tags: LG, Android Wear
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LG Watch Sport preview: The crown prince of Android Wear 2.0

Android Wear has so far been a middling story of wearable devices. The best iterations have been sold on a brand’s strengths – like Polar’s integration into its M600 giving you a great Polar Flow experience, or Tag’s premium reworking on the Tag Heuer Connected – leaving rivals like Apple and Samsung to do a lot more on the user experience at a core level.

That’s all set to change with the launch of Android Wear 2.0 and its hero device, the LG Watch Sport. This is looking like the best designed Android Wear device we’ve seen from LG so far, ushering in a new Android Wear experience that’s more mature, more engaging and more fully featured.

We had the chance to spend some time with the new Android Wear watch prior to launch, but we’re still confirming some of the technical details.

LG Watch Sport: Design

• 45.4 x 51.21 x 14.2mm
• 316L stainless steel case
• Titanium or blue colours
• IP68 water protection

Design hasn’t been the strong point of LG’s previous watches, but the LG Watch Sport takes things in a new direction, one that feels more considered and more serious than before. Landing with the Sport name, this is a watch that’s designed to carry sporty looks, with aesthetics closer to popular diver’s watches than LG’s previous efforts.

Pocket-lint

This is a big watch, but not the biggest Android Wear watch out there. Some might baulk at the 14.2mm thickness, but it actually wears comfortably and if you’re used to wearing a watch with substance, that won’t be a concern – in fact you might say the display could be a little bigger than the 1.38-inches it offers.

The body is cool stainless steel, anodised and finished in a dark blue or titanium colour. The back is plastic, but unlike the flimsy feels of the LG Watch Urbane, this feels solid.

There are three buttons on the LG Watch Sport, the centre of which is a digital crown that rotates as well as pushes. This lets you interact with Android Wear 2.0’s most exciting new feature – rotational control. That’s been showcased by Samsung and Apple on their respective devices and it’s a welcome addition to Android, helping mature the platform with new interaction.

The other two buttons are given over to Google Fit and Android Pay, a new feature in Android Wear 2.0, supporting the NFC function.

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The rear of the LG Watch Sport is interesting. It has a pronounced section that houses the optical heart rate sensor which sits securely against your skin to ensure a good connection – we’re yet to test that out, but we’ve experienced great results from the TomTom Spark which employs a similar technique – and doesn’t lead to any discomfort when wearing it. 

That whole back section can be removed to put the nano SIM card inside to power the LTE connection – another interesting addition to the wearable space. The antenna for this is integrated into the strap, so there’s no switching straps here. That might bring a fashion limitation to some, but hopefully means you’re connected wherever you are. We found the strap be comfortable and feel like good quality in our brief time wearing it. 

LG Watch Sport carries an IP68 water protection rating, which should protect it from sweat, rain and showers, but we were told that it’s not designed for submersion like swimming. That’s going to be left to other devices like the Nixon Mission (also on the list to get Android Wear 2.0), which is proofed to 5ATM.

LG Watch Sport: Hardware and specs

• 1.38in 480 x 480 pixel POLED display (348ppi)
• Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100, 768MB RAM, 4GB storage
• 430mAh battery
• Heart rate monitor and GPS
• NFC, LTE

The LG Watch Sport has a 1.38-inch POLED display with a 480 x 480 pixel display, giving it a cracking 348ppi. The display itself is fully round – there’s no flat tyre here like the Moto 360 Sport and this watch looks a lot better as a result. 

In the brief time we had with the watch the display looked good, but on first impressions it lacks those deep blacks and punchy colours of the Apple Watch – but that could be down to brightness settings or pre-release hardware, or just the screens that we were looking at. 

Certainly, once you dive into the details, like scrolling through apps in the menu, you’ll notice lots of details in the visuals, a benefit that comes from the higher resolution.

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We didn’t have the chance to test the HRM, GPS, NFC or LTE, but in our first-hand briefing we were told that there have been no problems using those functions.

The inclusion of NFC unlocks contactless payment via Android Pay and accessed via the bottom hardware button – but that advantage this offers to runners is that you can leave the house with a fully connected device – you can stream music and you can pay for the bus home when you get lost.

Pocket-lint

The LG Watch Sport is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 chipset, hardware designed specifically for wearables, with a boosted 768MB RAM. The 4GB storage is standard, providing some local space for storage of your music.

The 430mAh battery is said to last “all day” with the LTE modem active, but we’ll be sure to thoroughly test the endurance, both with LTE on and off, when we get the chance. 

LG Watch Sport: The latest software

• Android Wear 2.0
• Rotational apps menu using digital crown

Launched along with the announcement of Android Wear 2.0, the LG Watch Sport has been designed partly to show off the new features of this updated wearable mobile platform. Where Android Wear was gawky and slightly cartoonish, the updates in AW2.0 bring maturity, practicality and a refinement of the most-used tasks.

Pocket-lint

Watch faces are now more customisable with the facility to add complications. This means that rather than using a default watch face that comes from Google, LG or an app, you’ll be able to open a template and add the elements to the face that you want to see. This is also open to developers, with those elements pulled in to fit the style of the watch face you’re using. 

You can now switch faces with a swipe – as you can on Apple Watch – there’s a new quick settings shade for instant actions, as well as deeper focus on fitness. The top hardware button takes you straight to Google Fit’s activity tracking mode, where you can fire up a run or other sport and track your progress. 

Included in the fitness app are things like challenges, so that you can set yourself sit-up or squat challenges, with your watch monitoring your progress. There’s also some clever self-calibration for runners. The stride length will be calculated when running outside using the GPS and the accelerometer and this will then give you a more accurate result then running indoors on a treadmill.

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This all ties into Google Fit and it’s good to see this fitness focus, although the elephant in the room is that generic fitness apps aren’t always hugely popular. Google Fit has been around for a number of years but has never really been very exciting. Take the Polar M600 for example: that’s a great sports watch not because of the Android functions, but because of the Polar Flow platform that it offers. We suspect that Android Wear apps from other platforms, like Strava or Endomondo, might emerge as the more popular options.

The final thing worth talking about is the rotational control. Pressing the button will open the app menu, presented with round icons around the display. The crown will scroll through these apps (you can favourite apps to keep them at the top of the list), to make it easy to get to things – it’s much more dynamic than the old flat list.

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We’ve see the crown out to good use by Apple and we’ve experienced the bezel rotation control offered by Samsung on the Gear watches too, and we think it’s a natural and great addition to the skills of Android Wear. 

First Impressions

Our time with the LG Watch Sport has only been brief, but in that short time, we’re left with the impression that the hardware is well designed. This looks like an attractive Android Wear watch, much more appealing that previous watches from LG, Huawei or Asus. 

What really underpins this new device, however, is the new software. That will be coming to a wide range of devices (from 15 February), but this is one of the few devices that will offer that rotational control. The software is more mature, more useful and better designed than the previous Android Wear experience and that should help this platform grow. 

With LTE and Android Pay also in the mix, this is a completely connected device that opens up new opportunities for smartwatch wearers. We’ve not been this excited about an Android Wear device for some time.

The LG Watch Sport will be available from 10 February in the US, priced at $349. It will be available from AT&T, Verizon, Best Buy and on Google Store.

The LG Watch Sport will be coming to Canada, Korea, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Taiwan, UAE and the UK in the coming weeks.

Android Wear 2.0 update coming from 15 February to existing watches

Google has confirmed that the update to Android Wear 2.0 will be rolling-out on 15 February, following its announcement with the launch of the LG Watch Sport and LG Watch Style on 8 February. 

The new software is a step-change for Android Wear, bring a more user friendly experience and unlocking a load of features to make Android wearables much more competitive. 

There’s a big change in the visual design, more customisation options through complications on watch faces, easier messaging options with suggested replies and a swipe keyboard.

• Android Wear 2.0: What’s new in the major software update for watches?

There will also be a native Google Play app store, meaning you can download standalone apps to the watch without the need to use a phone – bypassing one of the limitations experienced by iPhone users.

There is also Google Assistant and more enhanced fitness options through Google Fit.

Some of the new features are hardware dependent, like Android Pay support which needs NFC, as well as the support for rotational inputs – which none of the existing Android Wear devices currently have the hardware to support. 

Android Wear 2.0 makes Android Wear look better and behave better so we can’t wait for the update to drop on our existing devices.

Google will be releasing the software for existing devices on 15 February, but manufacturers will then be encouraged to test the software before pushing it out over the air to devices. 

We’re keeping a track of all the devices that are due for upgrade and when you can expect that upgrade to drop, so stay tuned.

• When is Android Wear 2.0 coming to my smartwatch?

Official: LG Watch Sport and LG Watch Style are Google’s first Android Wear 2.0 watches

Google and LG have officially announced the LG Watch Sport and the LG Watch Style, a pair of new devices designed in collaboration to showcase Android Wear 2.0.

Android Wear 2.0 was first announced at Google I/O in May 2016, but its official announcement has followed almost a year later, alongside the launch of these two new devices. 

Google confirmed to us that it worked closely with LG in designing these new watches, so they’re probably as close to a Nexus watch as you’ll get – and that was how these watches where first seen when they leaked. 

The LG Watch Sport is very much the hero device, fully-loaded with an LTE connection, meaning you don’t need your phone on to use it, as well as NFC, enabling mobile payments through Android Pay, and linked to the bottom button. 

The sporty watch also offers GPS and a heart rate sensor on the rear, with a full suite of fitness features accessed via the top hardware button.

• LG Watch Sport preview: The crown prince of Android Wear 2.0

But the star of the show is the digital crown on the side that supports Android Wear’s new rotational input controls. This means you can scroll through menus, turn your Nest up and down and so on, bringing a more visceral experience that the previous touch options. 

The second device is slimmer and smaller, designed to give you a smartwatch experience but in a more subtle way. There’s no GPS, NFC or LTE and there’s no heart rate monitor either: the Watch Style is about giving you the core Android Wear 2.0 experience, with that central digital crown. 

What the LG Watch Style does offer, however, is changeable watch straps. Coming with a leather strap as standard, you’ll be able to switch it out in seconds if you want a different look.

Both watches benefit from a fully-round display, with no flat tyres to be found. The new Android Wear 2.0 software also brings Google Assistant, completely revamped watch faces with complications, rotational input through the crown, quick replies on messages and a whole lot more.

• Android Wear 2.0: What’s new in the major software update for watches?

The LG Watch Sport will cost $349; the LG Watch Style will cost $249. Both will be available from Best Buy, Google, AT&T and Verizon from 10 February in the USA.

The watches will also be available in Canada, Korea, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Taiwan, UAE and UK soon. 

The Android Wear 2.0 update for existing devices will be available from 15 February.

• When is Android Wear 2.0 coming to my smartwatch?

iPhone owners to benefit from Android Wear 2.0, thanks to standalone apps

Android Wear has supported the iPhone for a while, but the experience has been rather jilted. Unlike the Apple Watch, the experience didn’t “just work”, it was more a case of “barely worked”.

There are a lot of reasons why, not least because of the approach that Apple takes to keeping its ecosystem locked down tight, but also because of the lack of Google’s Play Store on the iPhone, meaning a dirge of apps. You can read all about the old position on the link below.

• What’s Android Wear really like on iPhone?

One of the big changes in Android Wear 2.0 is standalone apps. This means that the app can be installed directly on the watch, which has its own app store. Currently, you’d have to install the Wear compatible app on your Android phone to enjoy it on your watch. 

With Android Wear 2.0, your watch will be able to connect itself to the network, either via Wi-Fi or LTE (if and when LTE-equipped watches hit the market), so you can install those apps directly, with no need for a connected device. 

For an iPhone user, that means you can install Uber or Strava or Runkeeper on an Android Wear smartwatch, without encountering any problems with your iPhone, as one isn’t dependent on the other.

Google has confirmed that the following apps will be standalone, so can be used by Android or iPhone users: 

• AccuWeather
• Android Pay
• Bring!
• Foursquare
• Google Fit
• Google Messenger
• Google Play Music
• Lifesum
• Robinhood
• Runkeeper
• Runtastic
• Strava
• Telegram
• Uber and many more

The interesting app on this list is Android Pay. That’s a given for Android phone users, but it appears that iPhone users will at some point in the future also have the freedom to use Android Pay on their wrist, meaning they don’t lose out on this convenience feature by not using an Apple Watch. 

There’s no real telling what the overall experience is going to be like for an iPhone user, and we suspect it won’t be as seamless and slick as it is on Apple Watch, but Android Wear 2.0 could unlock a whole world of variety when it comes to choosing your next piece of connected wristwear.

• LG Watch Sport preview: The crown prince of Android Wear 2.0

LG Watch Sport vs LG Watch Style: What’s the difference?

LG has announced two new smartwatches, designed in collaboration with Google. The two devices will be the poster boys for Android Wear 2.0, which launches at the same time, bringing some excellent new features.

As their names suggest, the LG Watch Style opts for the fashion route, while the LG Watch Sport goes down the sports path. Here is how the two smartwatches compare in terms of design and specs.

• LG Watch Sport preview

LG Watch Sport vs LG Watch Style: Design

• Watch Sport bigger
• Watch Style interchangeable straps
• Both have waterproofing

The LG Watch Sport is the chunkier and more rugged of the two smartwatches measuring 45.4 x 51.21 x 14.2mm with a rubberised fixed strap and stainless steel casing.

There are three buttons to the right-hand side of the Watch Sport’s circular face, while an optical heart rate scanner sits underneath. The casing is available in titanium and blue colour options and it has IP68 water protection.

The LG Watch Style is a little smaller and slimmer than the Sport, measuring 42.3 x 45.7 x 10.79mm with an interchangeable Italian leather strap. It too has a stainless steel casing and it comes in rose gold, silver and titanium colour ways.

There is only one central button on the right of the Style’s circular display and the bezels surrounding the screen are narrower than the Sport for a sleeker look. It is also water resistant but it offers an IP67 rating rather than IP68.

LG Watch Sport vs LG Watch Style: Features

• Larger display on Watch Sport
• LTE connectivity and GPS on Watch Sport
• Heart rate monitoring on Watch Sport

The LG Watch Sport has a 1.38-inch display with a 480 x 480 pixel resolution, resulting in a pixel density of 348ppi. It features optional LTE connectivity within the strap, as well as NFC and GPS for an independent experience. 

As we mentioned previously, there is also heart rate monitoring on the Sport model with Google Fit accessed easily via the top button on the right of the display.

The LG Watch Style on the other hand has a slightly smaller 1.2-inch display with a 360 x 360 resolution for a pixel density of 299ppi. It misses out on the extra features present on the Sport, meaning it’s more of a standard smartwatch.

• LG Watch Sport and LG Watch Style: Release date, rumours and specs

LG Watch Sport vs LG Watch Style: Hardware

• Both Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 chip
• More RAM on Watch Sport
• Bigger battery on Watch Sport

Both the LG Watch Sport and the LG Watch Style come with the Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 chip and 4GB of storage. 

The Watch Sport has 768MB of RAM and a 430mAh battery capacity, while the Watch Style has 512MB of RAM and a 240mAh battery.

LG Watch Sport vs LG Watch Style: Software

• Both Android Wear 2.0
• Both have Google Assistant
• Watch Sport can be independent of smartphone

Both the LG Watch Sport and the LG Watch Style run on Android Wear 2.0, offering an entirely new visual experience and interface to what Google’s wearable platform used to be.

The two new smartwatches also both feature Google Assistant and they both have the digital crown within the central button on the right of their displays for navigating the new interface.

The LG Watch Sport also has LTE connectivity however, meaning it can be used to stream music when out and about and take calls if you put in a SIM, without the need for your phone.

• Android Wear 2.0: What’s new in the major software update for watches?

LG Watch Sport vs LG Watch Style: Price

• Watch Style is cheaper

The LG Watch Sport will cost $349, while the LG Watch Style will be the cheaper alternative at $249.

LG Watch Sport vs LG Watch Style: Conclusion 

The LG Watch Sport is the bigger and more feature-rich of the two smartwatches being compared here. It has a larger battery capacity, more RAM, a sharper display and it comes with the extra functions like GPS, LTE and heart rate monitoring.

The LG Watch Style on the other hand, allows you to change its strap for a different look and it is also the sleeker and cheaper of these two devices.

The New York Times bundles Spotify to entice subscribers

After building up plenty of new subscriber momentum during the election, the New York Times is making a surprising move to encourage people to pay up: Bundling Spotify’s music streaming service with unlimited access to its news offerings. The NYT will offer the new joint subscription for $5 a week — 20 percent less than the current NYT unlimited pricing, which comes in at $6.25 a week — and will include unlimited access to Spotify’s premium offerings (which typically costs $10 a month).

It might seem like a strange fit, but the partnership could help both services attract some new users, as Bloomberg notes. The New York Times currently has around 3 million digital subscribers, but it’s aiming for a cool 10 million. Spotify, meanwhile, currently has more than 40 million subscribers. Perhaps more than the subscription discount, deeper integration between the NYT and Spotify could convince people people to actually pay for their services. And don’t forget, the NYT isn’t a stranger to new tech, especially with the increasing amount of 360-degree VR videos it’s producing.

Source: Bloomberg

Europeans will get ‘portable’ streaming libraries next year

The European Union is supposed to be a big, borderless family of member states, but this concept is far from true in the online world. For several years, EU regulators have been working towards a “Digital Single Market” with the aim of breaking down some of the regional barriers. One success story is free mobile roaming across the EU, which comes into force this summer, and now various European bodies have agreed upon new rules that’ll put an end to the geo-blocking of various online services like Netflix.

You see, Netflix offers different catalogs of films and TV shows in different EU countries. If you’re a British Netflix subscriber in Paris for the weekend, for example, you’ll still be able to log in to your account, but you’ll see the French content library. Similar geo-blocking tactics are employed on various music and video streaming services, as well as on video game and e-book stores. The EU would ideally like everything to be available to everyone across the region — just ask Paramount — but unravelling the complex web of country-specific licensing and copyright agreements is going to take some time.

Thus, the EU has come up with the quick fix of “portability,” allowing Europeans to access services in other countries as if they were at home. How this will work in practice has now been agreed upon, and it’s all pretty simple. Paid services like Netflix already require that you create an account and, of course, it knows where you call home. When the new rules go into effect, your country’s film and TV catalog will effectively become linked to your account, meaning you can binge anything you normally could even though you’re accessing it from a German IP address. This will be mandatory for paid services, whereas free ones like BBC iPlayer will be able to decide for themselves whether to offer portability or not.

The portability regulations still need a final stamp of approval from the European Parliament and Council of the EU, but given how simple and common sense they are, it’s likely this will be mere formality. After the go-ahead is given, providers will have nine months to make their services portable, meaning everything should be working as the EU intends by the beginning of next year.

Via: Digital TV Europe

Source: European Commission

The LG Watch Style is a very basic Android Wear 2.0 device

At last, the long-awaited update to Android Wear is upon us. Google is debuting its new wearable OS on a pair of LG-made devices: the Watch Style and Watch Sport. The Style is a $249 smartwatch that bundles Android Wear 2.0 and a new dial in a petite, simple frame. That all sounds promising in theory, but the Watch Style barely meets expectations and relies on that fancy new software to tempt shoppers.

Hardware

For a watch with the word “style” in its name, the Watch Style is a letdown from a design standpoint. Although I appreciated the thin case and slim 18mm band, I didn’t care for the watch’s otherwise bland design. The Italian leather strap I received was an unappetizing camel color that reminded me of, well, my flesh. But it is easy enough to swap out for a nicer strap, with the convenient clasp on the underside. LG offers two other colors for the case (black and rose gold) and two additional band colors: black and cream.

The watch’s 1.2-inch P-OLED display is a size that’s becoming increasingly popular on Wear devices, according to Google. So it’s baffling, then, that LG decided to surround the petite screen with an almost half-inch-thick ring of dead space. The display and this black circle are enveloped by the Style’s matte-silver case, which has a bezel that adds about another half-inch around the face. While the device is still compact overall, it feels like there’s too much wasted space overwhelming the design.

Thankfully, the rest of the case has a clean, minimal aesthetic. There’s no etchings or bling here (cough, the Huawei Watch Jewel, cough) — just a dial on the right of the face that you can press or rotate. The Watch Style also lacks a heart rate monitor, which isn’t surprising for the price. The underside of the case is a bare plastic disc that feels as cheap as it looks. For the price, though, the Style’s IP67 rating for water and dust resistance is a nice touch. It’s safe enough to wear in rainy weather (or in the shower, if you want), but I wouldn’t recommend getting the leather band wet.

Android Wear 2.0

We’ve known about the features coming to Android Wear 2.0 for a while, but seeing it all together on a new watch impresses upon you the fact that this is a whole new operating system. Gone is the slightly cartoonish card-based interface. In its place, we have something cleaner and more refined.

One of the biggest updates to the OS is the new scrolling mechanism. The original Android Wear was criticized for being too reliant on swiping to get around. You had to swipe over and over again to get through all the notifications stacked up under the home page, for instance, or swipe twice to the right to unearth OK Google or your contacts. With this new interface, you can scroll through all of your alerts just by dragging your finger down the screen or twisting the dial.

This saves a lot of time and is the main reason the new OS feels so much faster and more responsive than before. But Google was slightly inconsistent in integrating this mechanism with its existing gestures, which makes navigating a bit confusing. For example, swiping right from the apps list on the old Wear brought you back to the watch face. Doing that on the Wear 2.0 does nothing; you’ll have to press the dial to go back home from the apps list. Sure, it’s easy enough to relearn a few gestures, but in this case, since swiping right doesn’t do anything, it would have been more intuitive if Google simply programmed that action to bring you home.

I also wish Google had been more thoughtful in some other aspects of the software. Music playback controls now show up as a notification in the new Wear, instead of its previous home in the quick settings drawer that you could pull down from the top of the screen. It was annoying when I accidentally dismissed the music notification and had to wait till the next song for the alert to appear again. This is a better Android Wear, but it’s not without its problems.

When paired to an iPhone, the Style has fewer functions than when connected to an Android device. The features you’ll miss the most on iOS include the ability to reply to your messages or initiate calls from your wrist — indeed, some of the most convenient amenities a smartwatch has to offer.

You’ll also find far fewer apps available in the wearable’s onboard app store if you’re paired to an iOS device. The Play Store is another addition to Android Wear 2.0 that makes finding apps for your wrist easier. Downloading and installing most applications took less than 30 seconds, which is a reasonable wait time. That said, larger files like games took longer.

As I mentioned before, though, iOS users will find a dearth of compatible apps. I only saw a total of about a dozen applications in three categories when paired with an iPhone as opposed to more than a hundred listings across five categories when connected to Android. These standalone apps work even when your watch isn’t linked to your phone, which is another benefit of Wear 2.0. The new platform promises better iOS compatibility than its predecessor, but it’s still not a viable Apple Watch alternative for iPhone users.

In use

Regardless of the device you’re connected to, Android Wear’s enhancements make for a more useful smartwatch than before. In particular, the improved notifications interface does a good job of keeping you informed without being too distracting.

Getting rid of the card-based system from the old Android Wear was a fantastic decision on Google’s part. Now when a notification arrives on your watch, a badge for the corresponding app pops up from the bottom of the face and slides back out of sight. In its place is a tiny indicator icon on the home screen to remind you that you have unread alerts, which you can check out either by swiping up or turning the watch dial. A simple twist of the knob can take you all the way to the last alert in an instant.

This new input method makes all the difference in the updated OS. Think of it as a cross between the Apple Watch’s dial and the Samsung Gear’s rotating bezel: It has the intuitive rotating action of Apple’s hardware with the functionality of Samsung’s twist-to-scroll interface. Google’s collaboration with LG on the hardware here also paid off. In particular, the latency between the dial and the software is imperceptible, making for fluid performance.

It’s mesmerizing to watch the list of apps move up and down without lag as I turn the knob in either direction. It’d be nice if there were notches in the dial here, like there is in the Gear S3, to make for more precise navigation, but that’s not a huge issue, especially since the hardware here is so much more compact than Samsung’s wearable.

As much as I like the new dial, though, I found its placement slightly problematic. Whenever I had to bend my hand backward — say, when I was pushing against a door or tap — the back of my hand would press into the knob, triggering the assistant. It’s a small gripe, since it’s easy enough to dismiss the assistant, but it’s something I’d like to see addressed in future devices.

Although the Watch Style has a skimpier selection of onboard sensors than its more expensive brother, it still carries a modest few components, such as an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a Bluetooth radio and an ambient light sensor. Its round 360 x 360 display is bright and colorful, and words and graphics (such as the adorable penguin watch face I installed) are easy to see.

Together with the refreshed operating system, the Style’s 1.1GHz Snapdragon 2100 CPU kept the device running smoothly. I even found the Style to be more responsive than other watches with similar specs, so I credit the new Android Wear for the performance improvements. For instance, dismissing notifications on the old platform resulted in a one- or two-second wait, while it happens instantly with Wear 2.0.

I did notice a slight (one-second or so) delay whenever I tried to wake the device, whether by tapping on the screen or lifting my wrist. Plus, anything that required voice recognition, such as talking to the assistant or saying a phrase for the Translate app, took up to about 10 excruciatingly long seconds to register and process.

That’s a pain but not nearly as frustrating as the Style’s battery life. Its 240mAh battery, which is rated to last “all day,” barely survives a full work day, much less 24 hours. On a busy day with frequent notifications and a moderate amount of testing, the Style conked out nine hours after being fully recharged. With less-intensive use, the device made it through close to 12 hours, which means you’ll still have to plug it back in about twice per day. Compared to the existing smartwatches that typically last about one and a half to two days, the Style’s endurance is its biggest drawback.

The competition

At the moment, there isn’t a perfect substitute for the new LG watches. They’re the only two Android Wear 2.0 watches on the market right now with the rotating dial, although that will change soon.

If you don’t mind foregoing the nifty new knob, you’ll find a plethora of options. Most other existing Android Wear watches will get the updated OS “in the coming weeks,” according to Google, although certain manufacturers are sure to be slower than others. For $20 less, you’ll find the ASUS Zenwatch 3, which has a larger screen and a bigger battery. The Zenwatch doesn’t run Wear 2.0 yet, though, so if you go that route you’ll have to wait before you see that fancy new software.

Those who prefer classier-looking watches than the Style should consider the Moto 360 for Women or the Fossil Q Wander or Marshal. All three options are prettier than LG’s watch, but they also cost $50 more.

Between the two new LG devices, the Sport is the better choice. It does everything the Style does, but also has a heart rate sensor, supports GPS, Android Pay and offers built-in LTE so you can make calls from the watch without depending on a companion phone. The Sport is much chunkier than the Style, though, and $100 more expensive, so it’s not ideal for folks with smaller wrists or limited budgets.

Wrap-up

Ultimately, the LG Watch Style feels more like a proof of concept than a smartwatch for consumers. It shows how well Android Wear 2.0 can perform when Google collaborates with a device maker to make sure new hardware input methods are integrated properly into the interface. But almost everything else about the Style, from its bland design to its dismal battery life, is disappointing. Even though its $249 price is relatively affordable, a lower cost would help justify some of this watch’s shortfalls. Simply put, the Style is not a good enough watch to showcase the many improvements that Android Wear has made. Fortunately, any number of promising alternatives are sure to arrive this season.