Details
Brand
LG
Model
Style
Battery Life
24 hours
Use
Tracking
Latest Version
Yes
Key Features
• Rose Gold, Silver or Titanium exterior for a classic look• P-OLED full circle display• Stainless Steel and Gorilla Glass case for durability• Italian Genuine Leather strap• WiFi and Bluetooth are easy to set up• Google Now voice activation• Swappable bands• Can be used with any iOS or Android smartphone• Movement tracker and fitness apps for setting goals• Water and dust resistant
Comfort
The Style is very comfortable to wear. It is thin and lightweight, only 10.8 mm thick and weighing just 1.66 ounces (47 grams). The metal is comfortable on top of the wrist and the soft genuine leather strap does not feel noticeable during the day or during workouts. The band is adjustable for a better fit and can also be switched out for another material that is softer, harder, lighter, or heavier.
Size
s Available;The Style is available in one-size-fits-all and adjusts to fit most wrist sizes. Its smaller (1.8” by 1.7”) and thinner case (10.8 mm) make it look good even on smaller wrists, whereas most smartwatches seem to be designed for and look best on larger wrists. The strap is 18mm wide and can be switched out for a longer or shorter strap depending on the wearer’s preference.
Accessories
In addition to the swappable bands, there are several accessories that are compatible with the Style. At Amazon, there are replacement charging cradles and adapters and anti-scratch and anti-fingerprint screen protectors. On LG’s website are the LG TONE Active Wireless Headset, the LG TONE Active+ Wireless Stereo Headset, the Wireless Charging Cradle for LG Watch Style ($36), and LG FORCE Bluetooth Wireless Headset.
Style
The Style is available in Rose Gold, Silver and Titanium. The Rose Gold watch comes with an off-white/beige band, Silver has a tan band, and Titanium comes with a black band. It looks good on all wrist sizes, being only 1.8” (4.6 cm) long by 1.7” (4.3 cm) wide, and having an 18 mm band instead of 22 mm. Many small-wristed testers were happy about this. The look and style were liked by testers of all wrist sizes, and the band can be switched out for a different look.
Activities
The LG Watch Style can be worn for most activities throughout the day. When using Google Fit, it can track running, walking, biking, treadmill running, aerobics, stationary biking, stair climbing, and challenges for push-ups, sit-ups and squats. It is splash resistant so it can handle a little bit of sweat, but be sure to take the watch off before jumping in the pool. The short battery life means it will need to charge rather than track sleep overnight.
Basic Features
The LG Watch Style can be worn for most activities throughout the day. When using Google Fit, it can track running, walking, biking, treadmill running, aerobics, stationary biking, stair climbing, and challenges for push-ups, sit-ups and squats. It is splash resistant so it can handle a little bit of sweat, but be sure to take the watch off before jumping in the pool. The short battery life means it will need to charge rather than track sleep overnight.
Advanced Features
This watch has many advanced features. It has a built-in gyro sensor (movement tracker), WiFi and Bluetooth. It can estimate the number of calories burned during a workout. It also has a microphone and Google Now voice activation for hands-free use, and an ambient light sensor that can adjust the lighting to save battery or improve visibility based on current lighting conditions. It is water and dust resistant so it can withstand getting splashed as long as it gets dried off quickly. It can install apps for more features and functionality and setting and tracking goals, with 4 GB of memory. However, it does not have near-field communication (NFC) for mobile payments, or a GPS, speaker or heart rate monitor. This means that the wearer needs to use their smartphone for maps/navigation, and that they cannot make or take phone calls with this watch.
Connectivity
The LG Watch Style has WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity. Although it is an Android 2.0 device, it can sync with any iOS or Android smartphone, so it is not limited to Android users only, although it does require a Google account to login and set up. Most people found it very easy and fast to connect to the Internet or to their smartphone. There were also several people who had problems with the Bluetooth staying connected so they could continue using their smartphone’s GPS and apps.
Ease of Use
The LG Watch Style is very easy to use. The button on the side is used to power the device on or off when pressed, and can also be rotated to scroll through the faces, or the wearer can swipe because it has a touch screen. WiFi and Bluetooth are easy to set up and only take minutes to connect to the Internet or a smartphone. The ambient light sensor makes it easy to read in the sun, not too bright at night, and dim when not in use in order to save the battery. The interface is easy to navigate and user-friendly. It is easy to customize the look of the watch and install or use apps. The watch also vibrates to notify the wearer of text messages and emails so they do not have to get their phone out.
Power Source
The Style is powered by a 240mAh lithium ion battery that is embedded in the watch. It is smaller than most smartwatch batteries, which allows the watch itself to be thin, but in turn makes the battery charge not last as long. According to many testers, the battery lasted only eight to ten hours between charges, which is not even enough to get through a whole day. Some people were able to get all-day use by turning off WiFi (in which they had their phone with them and did not care about receiving notifications) and dimming the screen. The manual also suggests turning off the always-on option for the screen, turning off gestures, and uninstalling apps that noticeably drain battery life. The watch comes with a USB charging cable and wall adapter, and the battery charges relatively quickly because of its small size.
Accuracy
The Style has varying degrees of accuracy depending on the feature. The steps taken is very accurate, usually coming within a few steps of what was counted by the tester. Distance is also accurate, and the clock and timer work as expected. The calories burned is not as accurate as it could be because the device does not have a built in heart rate monitor, so it has to base it only on activity type, activity duration and the weight of the wearer. The ambient light sensor works well: readability was rated as very good. Google Now has good voice detection for deciphering commands.
Face
The face has a P-OLED full-circle display with a touch screen. It is surrounded by stainless steel and covered by Gorilla Glass for durability. It measures 1.2 inches (3 cm) across and has a display resolution of 360 pixels by 360 pixels and 299 dots per inch, which is clearer than most other similar smartwatches (range of 278-287 dots per inch). The first face (homepage) is the clock and also the workout length, date, battery level, and step count. The user can swipe across the different screens they chose, and select the + button at the end to add more faces and re-design the current faces.
Band
The band that comes with the watch is made out of Italian Genuine Leather. It is either off-white/beige (Rose Gold), tan (Silver) or black (Titanium). It is adjustable and has eyelet holes to make it fit snugly. The width is an 18mm standard size and can be swapped out with another band of the same size for a different look and feel.
Apps
There are many apps available in the Google Play store that are compatible with this Android 2.0 watch. Google Fit detects activity and helps the wearer stay motivated by helping them set goals and stay on track, with separate graphs for each activity and its ability to be used from any device (smartphone, tablet, computer). Google Fit can also connect to other apps such as Lifesum and MyFitnessPal for more specific tracking (e.g. recipe and meal tracking). The Google Maps app will need to be connected to a smartphone in order to work properly. There are also apps for Facebook Messenger, Google Messenger, Google Translate, Uber, Foursquare, and more. There is no built in speaker, so music and conference calling apps will not work, and neither will any heart rate monitoring apps due to the lack of heart rate monitor. However, Bluetooth can connect to strap heart rate monitors or wireless headphones, and that will open up more app options.
Sizes Available
The Style is available in one-size-fits-all and adjusts to fit most wrist sizes. Its smaller (1.8” by 1.7”) and thinner case (10.8 mm) make it look good even on smaller wrists, whereas most smartwatches seem to be designed for and look best on larger wrists. The strap is 18mm wide and can be switched out for a longer or shorter strap depending on the wearer’s preference.
Durability
This watch has varying degrees of durability. Stainless steel is very durable and Gorilla Glass 3 is scratch resistant and can usually be dropped a few feet without cracking. Leather is pretty durable and the watch is dust and IP67 water resistant (supposed to be able withstand up to one meter for up to thirty minutes), but the manual says to dry immediately. One tester had problems with water resistance: they splashed the face and wiped off right away, but it stopped working. Another person had their glass scratch not too long after they got the watch, but most people did not have their watch’s glass.
Price
The LG Watch Style is slightly above the average fitness watch price. It uses Android 2.0 (which makes many apps available to it) and has 4 GB of storage, an accelerometer, gyroscope, ambient light sensor and microphone. It does not have GPS, heart rate monitor, mobile payments, or a speaker for taking phone calls, which many smartwatches of average or below-average price do have. Depending on the retail and color chosen, it is currently being sold for anywhere from $100 off to $23 more than the MSRP value.
Bottom Line
The LG Watch Style has a great look and some nice features, but many testers questioned whether or not it was worth such a high price when other watches with more built-in features and much better battery life are the same price or less. It has all the basic features expected of a smartwatch as well as some advanced features. It can be used for many activities out of the box, with even more trackable activities once apps are installed. There are a lot of apps to choose from at the Google Play store due to the Style being an Android 2.0 device. However, it lacks a GPS, heart rate monitor, speaker, or the ability to do payments, and its short battery life prevents sleep tracking and makes it so many people had to charge halfway through the day. It uses durable materials, is lightweight and comfortable to wear, and has a classic look liked by most reviewers. It is small and thin enough that it does not look huge on smaller wrists but not too small for a larger wrist. Its touchscreen and side button make it very easy to navigate through and customize the different faces. The microphone allows for voice commands and the ambient light sensor makes it not too bright or too dim. Overall, the Style is a nice-looking device, but potential buyers might want to compare prices, features, and battery life.
