 Just a couple of weeks ago, Google announced the next generation of its Android Wear platform. And it promises to make smart watches much more independent from your phone. Now that's not going to be available until later this year, but you can kind of get a taste of what's to come with LG's Watch Urbane 2nd Edition LTE. Now unlike every other Android Wear watch, this LG has a cellular radio inside of it, which means that if you don't have your phone with you, you can still use your watch. You can get the Watch Urbane from AT&T and Verizon right now, and it's pretty expensive either way. AT&T sells it for $360, but they'll sell it to you for $200 if you sign up for 2 years of data service on it. And Verizon's even more expensive. They sell it for $500 or $450 if you sign up for a 2-year data plan. Both carriers charge $10 a month for service on it, which is pretty pricey for something that's not your phone, or your tablet, or your laptop. At its base, the Urbane is just like any other Android Wear watch, but here's where it's different. If you go out and happen to leave your phone at home and it's connected to Wi-Fi or cellular, the Urbane will act just the same as if your phone was in your pocket and paired over Bluetooth. You can see your notifications, you can use apps, you can perform voice searches, you can even make phone calls and send and receive text messages. But if your phone isn't connected to the network for whatever reason, the watch becomes much dumber and only lets you use its offline functions. The AT&T model will still let you make and receive phone calls and send and receive text messages, but the Verizon version will only let you receive forwarded phone calls. But you can't perform voice searches, you can't use apps, you can't launch anything, it's really just a watch on your wrist. Now I've been using the AT&T model, and while it definitely works when it's not connected directly to my phone, it's much slower, especially when it's looking up information or transcribing text. Phone calls are usable in a quiet environment, but it can be hard to hear the watch's speaker when it's noisy. It's definitely not something I'd want to rely on or use more than one or two times a day. Now as a watch, the Urbane is pretty large. It's got a nice round, sharp, crisp display, metal body, the battery lasts all day, and there aren't any major frustrations with lagginess in the interface or anything like that. But unfortunately the rubber strap is pretty stiff and uncomfortable, and you can't change it, which is a bit frustrating. Now there's two extra buttons on the side of the Urbane that you don't get with other Android Wear watches. LG's programmed one of them to launch your contact list, and the other one to launch a physical activity tracker. Unfortunately they can't be reprogrammed, which would be way more useful if you could set them to apps that you actually use. So here's how you should look at the Watch Urbane 2nd Edition LTE. It's a preview of what's to come. I wouldn't recommend you buy it right now, it's just too expensive, and its extra options over regular Android Wear watches don't justify its monthly service cost. But it's going to get a lot more interesting later this year when Android Wear 2.0 comes out. At that point, you might even want a cellular connected watch that has all of its functions without your phone, and lets you install apps directly to the watch. But for now, you're better off choosing one of the other many Android Wear options that don't carry a monthly service fee. Okay Google, call Mark. He's changing Google Word! Okay Google, call Mark now.
 Just a couple of weeks ago, Google announced the next generation of its Android Wear platform.
 And it promises to make smart watches much more independent from your phone.
 Now that's not going to be available until later this year, but you can kind of get a taste of what's to come
 with LG's Watch Urbane 2nd Edition LTE.
 Now unlike every other Android Wear watch, this LG has a cellular radio inside of it,
 which means that if you don't have your phone with you, you can still use your watch.
 You can get the Watch Urbane from AT&T and Verizon right now, and it's pretty expensive either way.
 AT&T sells it for $360, but they'll sell it to you for $200 if you sign up for 2 years of data service on it.
 And Verizon's even more expensive. They sell it for $500 or $450 if you sign up for a 2-year data plan.
 Both carriers charge $10 a month for service on it, which is pretty pricey for something that's not your phone,
 or your tablet, or your laptop.
 At its base, the Urbane is just like any other Android Wear watch, but here's where it's different.
 If you go out and happen to leave your phone at home and it's connected to Wi-Fi or cellular,
 the Urbane will act just the same as if your phone was in your pocket and paired over Bluetooth.
 You can see your notifications, you can use apps, you can perform voice searches,
 you can even make phone calls and send and receive text messages.
 But if your phone isn't connected to the network for whatever reason,
 the watch becomes much dumber and only lets you use its offline functions.
 The AT&T model will still let you make and receive phone calls and send and receive text messages,
 but the Verizon version will only let you receive forwarded phone calls.
 But you can't perform voice searches, you can't use apps, you can't launch anything,
 it's really just a watch on your wrist.
 Now I've been using the AT&T model, and while it definitely works when it's not connected directly to my phone,
 it's much slower, especially when it's looking up information or transcribing text.
 Phone calls are usable in a quiet environment, but it can be hard to hear the watch's speaker when it's noisy.
 It's definitely not something I'd want to rely on or use more than one or two times a day.
 Now as a watch, the Urbane is pretty large.
 It's got a nice round, sharp, crisp display, metal body, the battery lasts all day,
 and there aren't any major frustrations with lagginess in the interface or anything like that.
 But unfortunately the rubber strap is pretty stiff and uncomfortable, and you can't change it, which is a bit frustrating.
 Now there's two extra buttons on the side of the Urbane that you don't get with other Android Wear watches.
 LG's programmed one of them to launch your contact list, and the other one to launch a physical activity tracker.
 Unfortunately they can't be reprogrammed, which would be way more useful if you could set them to apps that you actually use.
 So here's how you should look at the Watch Urbane 2nd Edition LTE.
 It's a preview of what's to come.
 I wouldn't recommend you buy it right now, it's just too expensive,
 and its extra options over regular Android Wear watches don't justify its monthly service cost.
 But it's going to get a lot more interesting later this year when Android Wear 2.0 comes out.
 At that point, you might even want a cellular connected watch that has all of its functions without your phone,
 and lets you install apps directly to the watch.
 But for now, you're better off choosing one of the other many Android Wear options that don't carry a monthly service fee.
 Okay Google, call Mark.
 He's changing Google Word!
 Okay Google, call Mark now.