LG G Watch R2 rumored for MWC 2015, may include 4G connectivity to really strain the battery

By Andy Boxall Updated March 2, 2015

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LG G Watch R

The LG G Watch R has only recently gone on sale, but rumors are gathering about a sequel, which is currently being referred to as the G Watch R2. If a report published in Korea is accurate, LG is planning to add 4G connectivity to the G Watch R2, ready to take on Samsung’s Gear S smartwatch.

Smartwatches with any data connection onboard are a rarity at the moment, and those that are on sale – such as the Gear S, have 3G built-in. Although it’s not mentioned, the reason for incorporating cellular connectivity is for the watch to be used independently of a smartphone. For example, calls could be made and received using only the watch. Samsung’s Gear S doesn’t quite achieve this, and initially still requires a link to a Samsung phone.

While a standalone smartwatch makes some sense, a considerable amount of energy is needed to power a 4G modem, as anyone with a 4G smartphone will already know. Putting the same degree of strain on a tiny smartwatch battery could potentially cut down the already limited standby time even more.

Outside of the 4G connection, nothing else on the specification is mentioned, but a possible Mobile World Congress launch date is put forward. The G Watch R was announced in September, and released in October, making a March 2015 launch for the sequel quite early. It’s not completely unlikely though. The original G Watch first appeared in June this year, so LG’s not afraid to push out new wearable hardware. LG may also be working hard to get a new smartwatch on sale to compete with the Apple Watch, which will go on sale sometime early in 2015.

Mobile World Congress begins on March 2, 2015, and if the G Watch R2 is going to be one of LG’s major announcements, we’d expect to hear more about it soon.

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Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…

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