Google recently launched the Android Wear 2.0 operating system, and with it, two new smartwatches from LG. One of these, the LG Watch Sport, has a lot in common with the Apple Watch Series 2 released last September. Let's take a look.
Size
The Apple Watch Series 2 comes in two sizes; both are smaller than the LG Watch Sport. The 38-mm Apple Watch is one of the daintiest smartwatches around. On the other hand, while the Sport is big, it's still not quite on the level of some behemoths like the Samsung Gear S3.
Build materials
The LG Watch Sport has a stainless steel watch case with a plastic back. The display is made from Gorilla Glass 3.
The entry-level Apple Watch has an aluminum casing with Ion-X glass display. However, you can pay for an upgrade to a stainless steel or ceramic body. Steel and ceramic editions have sapphire displays.
Color options
If a custom appearance is important to you, the Apple Watch has you covered. The four colors shown above are just for the aluminum variants, but there are also two possible stainless steel finishes, metallic or black. The ceramic option is white.
There are just two options for the Sport: all-over color schemes of either titanium or dark blue.
Band
The LG Watch Sport does not have a removable band – the elastomer strap houses essential antennae. On the other hand, Apple Watch straps are interchangeable and are available in many different colors of elastomer, nylon, leather and stainless steel.
Display size
The 42 mm Apple Watch does have the largest diagonal measurement, but its rectangular shape and 4:5 aspect ratio translates into less overall display area than the LG Watch Sport. Still, we wonder how well the watch's software maximizes the round display and the space it affords.
Display resolution
At 348 ppi, the LG Watch Sport has the highest resolution. However, we found the 326 ppi displays on the Apple Watch to be amply bright and sharp.
Always-on display
The LG Watch Sport has a convenient always-on display option that can be turned off if you'd like to save battery. This feature is conspicuously absent on the Apple Watch.
Pressure-sensitive display
The Apple Watch has a pressure-sensitive display (the precursor to the 3D Touch functionality now prevalent in iPhones and iOS 10). Tapping the screen lighter or harder yields different results.
Rotating power button
Here, LG took a cue from Apple. The Apple Watch's Digital Crown, which lets you navigate by twisting the power button, is echoed by the Sport's rotating power button. This mechanism provides a navigation option that is often more user-friendly than taps and buttons alone.
Water resistance
The IP68 rating on the LG Watch Sport protects it against dust, splashes and brief accidental immersion (water up to 1.5 meter deep for up to 30 minutes). The Apple Watch is fully swim proof in water up to 50 m deep. That means you can use it to track your swimming workouts.
Cellular connectivity
The LG Watch Sport has a cellular connectivity option. If you add it to your carrier's data plan, you can use it completely independently of your phone. That's not the case for the Apple Watch.
GPS
In terms of sensors, the watches are similarly equipped. They both have built-in GPS for tracking workouts and mapping routes without help from your phone.
Heart rate sensor
Both watches also have heart rate sensors.
NFC for mobile payments
...and they're both NFC-equipped, the technology that enables mobile payment options. The LG option has Android Pay; the Apple Watch has (you guessed it) Apple Pay.
Battery
The Sport has a hefty battery, but LG has not given any official battery life estimates. Apple has not released a spec, but its "up to 18 hours" claim has several paragraphs worth of qualifiers on the Apple website.
Phone compatibility
The LG Watch Sport is compatible with both Android and iOS phones, though you may have an easier time with companion phone apps if you use an Android phone. (Think Google Fit, which lacks an iOS version.) The Apple Watch is strictly for iPhone owners.
Software
LG Watch Sport is one of the first Android Wear 2.0 flagships. The Apple Watch runs on WatchOS 3. One of the biggest differences? The updated Android Wear operating system has an on-watch version of the Google Play Store, meaning you can download apps directly to your watch without going through your paired smartphone. That's not the case for WatchOS 3, which still requires you to download Apple Watch apps on your iPhone.
Release
The Apple Watch Series 2 beat the LG Watch Sport to market by about five months.
Starting price
These similar smartwatches are very competitively priced, as long as you're talking about entry-level options. If you shell out extra for an Apple Watch made out of stainless steel or ceramic, you'll pay quite a few extra vanity dollars.
For more, you can hit up New Atlas' reviews of the LG Watch Sport and Apple Watch Series 2.
