Smartwatches

LG Watch Style vs. Huawei Watch

LG Watch Style vs. Huawei Watch
Comparing two 42 mm round smartwatches: LG Watch Style and the Huawei Watch
Comparing  two 42 mm round smartwatches: LG Watch Style and the Huawei Watch
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Comparing two 42 mm round smartwatches: LG Watch Style and the Huawei Watch
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Comparing  two 42 mm round smartwatches: LG Watch Style and the Huawei Watch
Heart rate sensor
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Heart rate sensor
Mobile payments
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Mobile payments
GPS
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GPS
iPhone/Android compatibility
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iPhone/Android compatibility
Always-on display
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Always-on display
Scrolling navigation
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Scrolling navigation
Software
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Software
Release
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Release
Starting price
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Starting price
Battery
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Battery
Water resistance
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Water resistance
Display type
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Display type
Display resolution
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Display resolution
Display size
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Display size
Band
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Band
Colors
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Colors
Build materials
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Build materials
Dimensions
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Dimensions
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How does the LG Watch Style compare to the Huawei Watch? The former is one of the new Android Wear 2.0 offerings, while the latter is one of our favorites from the first wave of smartwatches that hit the market toward the end of 2015. Let's take a look at their (very comparable) specifications.

Size

Dimensions
Dimensions

The two watch faces are both round, with 42 mm diameters. The LG Watch's 46-mm measurement accommodates for the crown that butts out a small amount from its right side.

Build (watch face)

Build materials
Build materials

The LG Watch Style watch face has a stainless steel casing and a Gorilla Glass 3 front. The back portion (which touches your skin) is plastic.

The Huawei Watch face is stainless steel, excepting the heart rate sensor on its back. Its sapphire display covering (the third hardest mineral on the planet) bests the still-capable Gorilla Glass.

You wouldn't necessarily be able to tell from a spec sheet, but the Huawei Watch's overall aesthetic is much more jewelry-like than the subtly tech-y LG Watch Style.

Colors

Colors
Colors

Each watch face is available in three metallic/neutral color variants, for matching to your wardrobe.

Band

Band
Band

The LG Watch Style ships with a leather band, but the band is interchangeable. Water-resistant silicone bands are sold separately if you need a sportier option.

The Huawei Watch ships with either stainless steel or leather bands. If you purchase additional bands, you can also swap them out as you see fit.

Display size

Display size
Display size

While both watches have 42 mm casings, the Huawei Watch fits in a larger display, with narrower bezels.

Display resolution

Display resolution
Display resolution

Display resolution is neck-and-neck between the two. The LG Watch Style comes in at a slightly higher pixel density, but it's not enough to be significant.

Display type

Display type
Display type

The LG Watch Style has a P-OLED (plastic OLED) display. It's AMOLED for the Huawei Watch.

Always-on display option

Always-on display
Always-on display

Both watches have always-on display options, for access to time and notifications without having to "wake up" the watch.

Scrolling navigation

Scrolling navigation
Scrolling navigation

The LG Watch Style has a rotating power button similar to the Digital Crown on the Apple Watch. This adds an additional physical method for scrolling through your watch's contents, so you don't have to rely on the touchscreen alone.

Water resistance

Water resistance
Water resistance

The two watches have identical IP67 water resistance ratings.

Cellular connectivity

Mobile payments
Mobile payments

These watches rely on proximity to your smartphone and Wi-Fi network. Neither one can dial into your cellular data plan.

GPS

GPS
GPS

Unlike many other watches, these wearables don't contain a built-in GPS.

Heart rate sensor

Heart rate sensor
Heart rate sensor

The heart rate sensor (a common feature is smartwatches and fitness trackers) is conspicuously absent from the LG Watch Style.

Mobile payments

GPS
GPS

Neither of these watches support mobile payments; they don't contain the requisite NFC technology.

Battery

Battery
Battery

Battery life is another too-close-to-call spec. The Huawei Watch's battery capacity is slightly larger, but a number of factors go into overall battery life.

iPhone/Android compatibility

iPhone/Android compatibility
iPhone/Android compatibility

Either watch will play nice with Android or iOS devices.

Software

Software
Software

LG Watch Style is one of the first to sport the Android Wear 2.0 operating system. The Huawei Watch still runs an earlier version of Android Wear, but it is in line to receive the 2.0 update in the "coming weeks".

Release

Release
Release

The Huawei Watch is part of the first wave of smartwatches, released back in September of 2015. Note that Huawei has confirmed that an updated version of its watch – the Huawei Watch 2 – will be announced at the end of this month. On the other hand, the LG Watch is less than a month old.

Starting price

Starting price
Starting price

The LG Watch Style's starting price is a relatively affordable US$249. The Huawei Watch had a $300 price tag when it was first released.

If you're eying the Huawei offering, we recommend hanging onto your money at least until its newer generation is announced. The Huawei Watch 2 may be more compelling, or it could drive down the asking price of its predecessor.

To take a deeper look at either of these wearables, look to our initial impressions of the LG Watch Style, or consult our Huawei Watch review. Stay tuned for a full-length LG Watch Style review, as well as details on the new Huawei Watch as they become available.

View gallery - 19 images
3 comments
3 comments
bibimbikeyboard
Manikyam Dass
JimFox
LG watch is an ugly duffer. Stop wasting time comparing it.
NewtonDKC
A couple additions of varying importance: the Huawei Watch also has a built in speaker while the LG Style does not. While sound may not have a huge impact for many SmartWatch users, it does add the potential for things like answering/calling from your wrist while your phone is in your pocket or bag, playback of voice memos, etc. You cover battery size but not in detail: Tho the Style has the newer 2100 processor, I have yet to see any comparison to the 400 processor of the Huawei that shows any real world differences, incl battery life. That said, the biggest complaint I have read online is the Style can barely make it through a workday, much less a full day, whereas the Huawei is better at 12-19 hours and that's running the Dev Preview of 2.0 (which is less than Wear 1.5's easy 24 hours, so hopefully the final version of 2.0 will be better). The Style does have wireless charging, while the Huawei has the old magnetic pin puck charger - one of the few negatives for the Huawei (and even then, it's not a big deal by any means, and the pin connector did allow Huawei users the ability to load 2.0 Developer Preview, whereas Qi chargers that don't offer a direct connection do not. Finally, I just want to say too that the Huawei's 1.4" screen is a joy to use where the 1.2" display size IMO is simply way too small. Swiping with your finger basically obscures the entire screen, tho the scrolling side button is the only feature of the Style of which I am envious. If my first generation Huawei had a scrolling crown, it'd still be the Best bar none of any of the non-LTE watches! :-)