Android Wear 2.0 To Launch On Feb. 9 Alongside 2 New LG Smartwatches

A new new report claims that Google’s Android Wear 2.0 will be launched during a special event scheduled on Feb. 9. In addition to that, the new software will also launch alongside two new smartwatches from LG.

The new smartwatches, the LG Watch Sport and LG Watch Style, are being made in partnership with Google. The devices will also be the first to run Android Wear 2.0 operating system. The partnership between the two companies is described as being “Nexus-style” implying that Google will have some control over its hardware and software optimization.

The two new LG Android Wear 2.0 smartwatches will start selling in the United States on Feb. 10, according to VentureBeat. The devices will also continue to roll out in other countries between February and March. The LG smartwatches will also be given greater exposure during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain which kicks off on Feb. 27.

The upcoming Nexus-style smartwatches from LG was first rumored way back in July 2016. A source claimed that Google was building two Android Wear devices and that they were possibly going to be under the Nexus brand, according to Android Police. Since the release of Google’s Pixel and Pixel XL, the Nexus branding seems to have been abandoned.

Android Police also shared early renders of the two smartwatches in July 2016. Apparently, the renders will closely resemble the final products when they launch on Feb. 9. Both the Watch Sport and Watch Style will come with circular plastic OLED touchscreen displays with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity and an Apple Watch-style Digital Crown for navigation.

However, the Sport will be larger and it will also come with cellular connectivity for 3G/LTE data, GPS and NFC radios and an IP68 dust and water resistance. Since the LG Watch Sport has its own cellular connectivity, the device will have the same phone number of the user’s primary smartphone.

The Sport will have 768MB RAM and a 430mAh battery, while the Style will have 512MB RAM and a 240mAh battery. Both will come with 4GB of internal storage. The LG Watch Style will also be IP67 water and dust resistant.

On the software side of things, both of the upcoming Android Wear 2.0 smartwatches will have iOS compatibility as well as Google Assistant integration. With the LG Watch Sport having NFC, it will be able to take advantage of Android Pay.

As for owners of older smartwatches, Google will be rolling out Android Wear 2.0 as a free upgrade.