Skip to main content

Two unannounced LG smartwatches show up at the FCC, one with pictures in tow

lg smartwatches fcc leak watch urbane battery life
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Motorola might have the most popular smartwatch without an Apple logo on it, but LG has become a leader in the category, too. The company launched one of the first Android Wear watches, and it made the first completely round smartwatch. So what’s next for LG?

Two LG watches recently passed through the FCC with the model numbers LG-VC110 and LG-VC200. Both watches are square with rounded corners like those on the ASUS ZenWatch. What’s even more interesting is that both watches include a CDMA radio that’s compatible with Verizon Wireless. They also include support for Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, as well as the usual Bluetooth 4.0 LE.

It appears the display size is the difference between the two devices. The VC-110 measures 56mm x 41.5mm, with a 45mm screen. On the other hand, the VC-200 has the same overall size of 56mm x 41.5mm, but its screen is listed at only 33mm. It’s an odd discrepancy, since a smaller display would normally mean a smaller overall device size.

Another interesting feature is an audio mini-jack, which was revealed in the VC-200 documents for the Bluetooth LE Test Report. Unfortunately, we cannot confirm if the VC-110 has one, too, since the majority of the pages are missing.

Lastly, a mini USB port will be on the back of both devices based on images from the Label and Location pages from both FCC filings.

LG_Smartwatch_FCC_Back_Label_LG-VC110_and_LG_VC200
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Thanks to a mistake, the Bluetooth LE Test Report for the VC110 show pictures of the device. However, the FCC didn’t make the same mistake with the VC200. The images below are of the VC110 only.

LG_Smartwatch_FCC_Images_LG-VC110
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Although we don’t have images of the VS200, we can confirm that it will have the same squarish look. Ausdroid was able to pull an image of what appears to be from the Label and Location page, but it’s not currently present in the documents. This image also confirms the Verizon branding.

LG_Smartwatch_FCC_Back_Label_LG-VC200
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The last piece of the puzzle is the OS they are running. Unfortunately we have no idea. It could be Android Wear, but the presence of a headphone jack and CDMA connectivity probably mean that the watches will be on WebOS. LG’s only other smartwatch with cellular connectivity is the WebOS version of the Watch Urbane. There are currently no Android Wear smartwatches with cellular connectivity, and there has been no indication that Google would support it.

It’s possible that we might find out more about these watches at IFA next month, so stay tuned.

Editors' Recommendations

Robert Nazarian
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Robert Nazarian became a technology enthusiast when his parents bought him a Radio Shack TRS-80 Color. Now his biggest…
A new affordable Motorola smartwatch could be coming by the end of the year
Moto 360 ambient display

A new Motorola-branded smartwatch is on its way for a launch by the end of the year, according to a press release shared by CE Brands, the current owners of the Motorola brand for smartwatches. The company has claimed to have already completed work on a Moto Watch 100, branding it an affordable premium smartwatch that will be going into mass production over the next month.

"Our newest smartwatch, the Moto Watch 100, which is designed for an entry-level price point, is scheduled to begin mass production in November 2021. With several major retailers in line for initial orders to test the product, we believe the Motorola brand coupled with an affordable premium-feeling smartwatch has the potential to be a truly disruptive product," the release reads.

Read more
The best Wear OS apps for your Google-powered smartwatch
Looking at a smartwatch using the Wear OS.

Some of the best smartwatches run Wear OS , and there are loads of apps that add all sorts of handy capabilities. A great Wear OS app does more than just send notifications to your wrist -- they entertain, track your fitness and health, help you to stay organized, and can indirectly save your phone's battery life, as you're checking your wrist rather than your phone's display.

With all of that in mind, here are our picks of the best Wear OS apps. Most of these apps still rely on a partner app on your smartphone, but a few offer stand-alone functionality. Either way, they're all must-haves for your Wear OS smartwatch.

Read more
Disappointingly, Wear OS 3 won’t be saving Android smartwatches for a while yet
Galaxy Watch 4 Classic on the wrist.

It all started out so well. Google working with Samsung and Fitbit on an updated version of Wear OS that would be faster, provide longer battery life, and enable more apps was exactly what we wanted -- an injection of effort, investment, and excitement into a piece of software that had stagnated for too long.

“It’s not just for Google and Samsung,” said Google’s Sameer Samat about Wear OS 3 at Google I/O 2021, putting our minds at rest, “it’ll continue to be available for all.” Excellent news, but what he actually should have said is, "available for all, eventually," because the software we hoped would be the Android smartwatch’s savior in 2021, won’t really be doing much saving for a while yet.
What’s the problem?
Wear OS 3 is available on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 and the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic, and that’s the way it looks set to stay until the second half of next year. There’s an argument to be made that it’s right for Samsung to benefit from the software platform it co-developed first, but that’s not the impression Google gave, and not really the idea behind any of Google’s software generally. Android has always been for everyone, while Wear OS 3 isn’t just yet.

Read more