Do You Need LTE Support on Your Smartwatch?

One of the Wear OS (formerly Android Wear) features is cellular support, which lets smartwatches with an embedded LTE radio stay connected in more places, even if Bluetooth and Wi-Fi aren't working well. 

The first Wear OS device to utilize this feature was set to be the LG Watch Urbane 2nd Edition LTE, but — in a strange turn of events — this device was canceled, apparently due to quality issues with one of the product's display components.

Weird LG Watch Urbane 2nd Edition LTE problems aside, it's clear that LTE-enabled smartwatches will be a reality in the fairly near future. To help you get a better idea of whether this is a feature you'll need (or even want), I'll run through all the details and specifics below.

Wear OS smartwatches that include an LTE radio will be able to connect to cellular networks and let you use apps, receive and send messages and more, even if your phone is far away. In addition to needing an LTE radio, a smartwatch must be able to connect to the same carrier as your phone (so far it looks like AT&T and Verizon will be on board).

To accomplish the feat of taking calls on your wrist, Wear OS smartwatches will share the same phone number as your smartphone. AT&T offers its free NumberSync service to assign one main phone number to all your compatible gadgets, and even though the LG Watch Urbane 2nd Edition is no longer in the cards for a release anytime soon, the Samsung Gear S2, with a 3G radio, can be used with NumberSync so all calls to your smartphone can be forwarded to your watch.

In its announcement post explaining this new feature, Google mentions running errands and running marathons as two examples of when having cellular support might be useful for Wear OS users. Since cellular connectivity allows you to do everything you regularly would with your smartwatch, you can leave your phone at home and lighten your load. 

That said, don't try tossing your smartphone aside and taking a conference call on your wrist just yet. It's not clear whether or not functionality, not to mention audio quality, on these wearable devices is good enough to truly replace your phone for calls.