 This is the LG Watch Sport, and this is the LG Watch Style. They're new Android Wear watches, but that's not really what's important about them. The bigger deal is that they run Android Wear 2.0. It's the biggest update to Google's smartwatch software since it launched. It's been three years since Google launched Android Wear, and since then, smartwatches have gone from being the next big thing to becoming just another thing, and not a thing most people really want. But now Android smartwatches can do more on their own, even if you use an iPhone. So for these two watches, the big question is, is that enough to make an Android smartwatch worth it for more people? If you've used Android Wear in the past, you'll notice that Wear 2.0 has a cleaner, simpler design. It's easier to navigate, easier to switch watch faces, easier to launch apps, and easier to see your notifications. It also has improved fitness tracking features, new ways to reply to incoming messages, and the voice-controlled Google Assistant that's been slowly creeping into Google's entire line of products. But the most significant change is how Android Wear works when your phone isn't around. You can now browse for and install apps right on your watch without having to use your phone. Looking for and installing apps on a screen the size of a quarter is exactly as tedious and fiddly as it sounds. But fortunately, you can install apps directly to the watch from the Play Store's web interface. You can also choose which apps on your phone install to your watch. Before this, any app on your phone that had a Wear version would automatically show up on your wrist, whether you wanted it to or not. Android Wear's third-party app selection isn't as strong as the Apple Watch's, but it's still better than what's available for the Samsung Gear S line. And if you're using Android Wear 2.0 with an iPhone, you can finally install third-party apps and watch faces. Third-party apps also have more capabilities now. With Wear 2.0, you can customize your watch face with third-party complications for weather, stocks, to-do lists, and more. So when I tap on this four-square complication, the app loads a list of interesting places nearby. Google is definitely playing catch-up with Apple here, but it's certainly a welcome feature. But apps still take far too long to load on the watch to be truly convenient. Even Google's voice-controlled assistant is still slower than it should be, prompting me to just pull out my phone to send a message when it took too long to respond. Wear 2.0 also supports watches with LTE connections, and that's a big deal because you can leave your phone at home and still access your notifications, launch the Google Assistant, make calls and send text messages, track your runs with GPS, and even buy things with Android Pay. So Android Wear 2.0 is great to have, and it has a lot of useful new features. But are these LG watches any good? The $349 watch sport is the flagship of the two, and it comes just absolutely packed with features. LTE, GPS, NFC for Android Pay, a heart rate sensor, large circular display, and three hardware buttons, two of which can be customized. It's also a big watch. It's thick and it's cumbersome. It has a stiff rubber strap that's really not very comfortable to wear, and you can't change it. If you like the looks of large sport watches, the watch sport might be something you're into. But if you want something more discreet or professional looking, it doesn't really fit the bill. The $249 watch style is everything the watch sport is not. It's smaller, lighter, thinner, more comfortable to wear, and has a leather strap that can be easily swapped out for something else. It also lacks many of the sports capabilities, and it doesn't have most of those Android Wear 2.0 features we just talked about. It also looks kind of cheap, like it's a cheap watch that's trying to look more expensive than it actually is. Both watches have sharp, clear displays that can be read well indoors and out. They also both have a rotating crown that can be used to scroll through lists or messages or zoom in and out on a map view. Yes, this is a total rip of Apple's digital crown in both function and form, but it works well for navigating the interface. Both watches are also dust and water resistant, but neither can be worn while swimming. Now, I've been able to get through an entire day with the watch style, but the watch sport tended to kick the bucket a bit earlier, sometimes before I was even ready to go to bed myself. It's clear that the sport's larger display and extra connectivity options take more of a toll on its battery life. The designs of the new watches are polarizing for sure, and frankly, I'm not really a fan of either of them. I want something in the middle, one that's not as big and clunky as this model, but has more capabilities than this one. But if you want the watch that best tells Google's vision for the future of smartwatches and for Android Wear, the watch sport is the one to get. In the past three years since Wear launched, it has become clear that smartwatches are good for two things, tracking fitness and providing a quick glance at your phone's notifications. And for the most part, that's what Android Wear 2.0 is good at. I like the new interface that's easier to navigate than before, and I like the rotating crown on the new watches for scrolling through lists or texts when I'm reading. I like being able to use my watch to pay for things at the store, even if it's slightly awkward for both myself and the cashier ringing me out. Typing out words by swiping on the tiny keyboard to reply to messages sounds ridiculous, but it actually can be useful from time to time. If I ever actually go out for a run and I'm wearing the watch sport, I can track my run, stream music from the cloud to my watch and then to my headphones, buy a bottle of water at the convenience store, and then text my wife to let her know I'm on my way home, all while my phone and my wallet are back at home. But if you aren't a fitness enthusiast or a smartwatch enthusiast, chances are none of those things interest you. Android Wear 2.0 is better than before, and the new watches have lots of new features, but they don't really change the conversation about wearables. And in a lot of ways, Google is simply playing catch-up with what Apple and Samsung were already doing with their smartwatches. If you liked Android Wear, chances are you'll like Android Wear 2.0 as well. It's a more polished version of the thing that's been out for three years. If you already own an Android Wear watch, like the Moto 360 or Huawei Watch or any of the fossil models, you probably don't need to invest in one of the new ones, unless you really want LTE, GPS, and Android Pay, because you'll be getting an update to Android Wear 2.0 later this year. While it may seem like Google's grand vision for the smartwatch is to make it a more independent device, the reality is you're still going to rely on your phone for the vast majority of things you want to do. And that means that if you haven't jumped aboard the smartwatch train yet, all of this new stuff probably won't get you to climb aboard.
 This is the LG Watch Sport, and this is the LG Watch Style.
 They're new Android Wear watches, but that's not really what's important about them.
 The bigger deal is that they run Android Wear 2.0.
 It's the biggest update to Google's smartwatch software since it launched.
 It's been three years since Google launched Android Wear,
 and since then, smartwatches have gone from being the next big thing
 to becoming just another thing, and not a thing most people really want.
 But now Android smartwatches can do more on their own,
 even if you use an iPhone.
 So for these two watches, the big question is,
 is that enough to make an Android smartwatch worth it for more people?
 If you've used Android Wear in the past,
 you'll notice that Wear 2.0 has a cleaner, simpler design.
 It's easier to navigate, easier to switch watch faces,
 easier to launch apps, and easier to see your notifications.
 It also has improved fitness tracking features,
 new ways to reply to incoming messages,
 and the voice-controlled Google Assistant that's been slowly creeping into Google's entire line of products.
 But the most significant change is how Android Wear works when your phone isn't around.
 You can now browse for and install apps right on your watch
 without having to use your phone.
 Looking for and installing apps on a screen the size of a quarter
 is exactly as tedious and fiddly as it sounds.
 But fortunately, you can install apps directly to the watch
 from the Play Store's web interface.
 You can also choose which apps on your phone install to your watch.
 Before this, any app on your phone that had a Wear version
 would automatically show up on your wrist, whether you wanted it to or not.
 Android Wear's third-party app selection isn't as strong as the Apple Watch's,
 but it's still better than what's available for the Samsung Gear S line.
 And if you're using Android Wear 2.0 with an iPhone,
 you can finally install third-party apps and watch faces.
 Third-party apps also have more capabilities now.
 With Wear 2.0, you can customize your watch face with third-party complications
 for weather, stocks, to-do lists, and more.
 So when I tap on this four-square complication,
 the app loads a list of interesting places nearby.
 Google is definitely playing catch-up with Apple here,
 but it's certainly a welcome feature.
 But apps still take far too long to load on the watch to be truly convenient.
 Even Google's voice-controlled assistant is still slower than it should be,
 prompting me to just pull out my phone to send a message when it took too long to respond.
 Wear 2.0 also supports watches with LTE connections, and that's a big deal
 because you can leave your phone at home and still access your notifications,
 launch the Google Assistant, make calls and send text messages,
 track your runs with GPS, and even buy things with Android Pay.
 So Android Wear 2.0 is great to have, and it has a lot of useful new features.
 But are these LG watches any good?
 The $349 watch sport is the flagship of the two,
 and it comes just absolutely packed with features.
 LTE, GPS, NFC for Android Pay, a heart rate sensor, large circular display,
 and three hardware buttons, two of which can be customized.
 It's also a big watch. It's thick and it's cumbersome.
 It has a stiff rubber strap that's really not very comfortable to wear,
 and you can't change it.
 If you like the looks of large sport watches,
 the watch sport might be something you're into.
 But if you want something more discreet or professional looking,
 it doesn't really fit the bill.
 The $249 watch style is everything the watch sport is not.
 It's smaller, lighter, thinner, more comfortable to wear,
 and has a leather strap that can be easily swapped out for something else.
 It also lacks many of the sports capabilities,
 and it doesn't have most of those Android Wear 2.0 features we just talked about.
 It also looks kind of cheap, like it's a cheap watch
 that's trying to look more expensive than it actually is.
 Both watches have sharp, clear displays that can be read well indoors and out.
 They also both have a rotating crown that can be used to scroll through lists or messages
 or zoom in and out on a map view.
 Yes, this is a total rip of Apple's digital crown in both function and form,
 but it works well for navigating the interface.
 Both watches are also dust and water resistant, but neither can be worn while swimming.
 Now, I've been able to get through an entire day with the watch style,
 but the watch sport tended to kick the bucket a bit earlier,
 sometimes before I was even ready to go to bed myself.
 It's clear that the sport's larger display and extra connectivity options
 take more of a toll on its battery life.
 The designs of the new watches are polarizing for sure,
 and frankly, I'm not really a fan of either of them.
 I want something in the middle, one that's not as big and clunky as this model,
 but has more capabilities than this one.
 But if you want the watch that best tells Google's vision for the future of smartwatches
 and for Android Wear, the watch sport is the one to get.
 In the past three years since Wear launched, it has become clear that smartwatches are good for two things,
 tracking fitness and providing a quick glance at your phone's notifications.
 And for the most part, that's what Android Wear 2.0 is good at.
 I like the new interface that's easier to navigate than before,
 and I like the rotating crown on the new watches for scrolling through lists or texts when I'm reading.
 I like being able to use my watch to pay for things at the store,
 even if it's slightly awkward for both myself and the cashier ringing me out.
 Typing out words by swiping on the tiny keyboard to reply to messages sounds ridiculous,
 but it actually can be useful from time to time.
 If I ever actually go out for a run and I'm wearing the watch sport,
 I can track my run, stream music from the cloud to my watch and then to my headphones,
 buy a bottle of water at the convenience store, and then text my wife to let her know I'm on my way home,
 all while my phone and my wallet are back at home.
 But if you aren't a fitness enthusiast or a smartwatch enthusiast,
 chances are none of those things interest you.
 Android Wear 2.0 is better than before, and the new watches have lots of new features,
 but they don't really change the conversation about wearables.
 And in a lot of ways, Google is simply playing catch-up with what Apple and Samsung were already doing with their smartwatches.
 If you liked Android Wear, chances are you'll like Android Wear 2.0 as well.
 It's a more polished version of the thing that's been out for three years.
 If you already own an Android Wear watch, like the Moto 360 or Huawei Watch or any of the fossil models,
 you probably don't need to invest in one of the new ones, unless you really want LTE, GPS, and Android Pay,
 because you'll be getting an update to Android Wear 2.0 later this year.
 While it may seem like Google's grand vision for the smartwatch is to make it a more independent device,
 the reality is you're still going to rely on your phone for the vast majority of things you want to do.
 And that means that if you haven't jumped aboard the smartwatch train yet,
 all of this new stuff probably won't get you to climb aboard.