LG's G Watch headed to Verizon too
Just days after AT&T confirms it will carry LG's smartwatch, a rep tells CNET that Verizon also will gain custody of the G Watch.
Verizon Wireless and AT&T will both end up selling LG's newly announced G Watch.
Unveiled last week, the $229 G Watch is already available for preorder in the Google Play Store with an estimated shipping date of July 3. But mobile carriers also are showing interest in the new smartwatch.
AT&T already lists a "Coming Soon" page for the G. A new tip from known and generally reliable leaker @evleaks announced that Verizon is also hopping aboard, per this tweet on Sunday: "LG G Watch coming to both Verizon and AT&T in the US."
A Verizon spokesman confirmed the news, telling CNET that the "LG G Watch is coming soon to Verizon Wireless."
Why would the carriers offer the G Watch when Google already sells it directly? Such a move could be part of an effort to bundle the watch with a smartphone as Samsung has done with its Galaxy smartphones and Gear smartwatches.
At this point, smartwatches are paired with mobile phones to alert users of incoming calls, emails, and messages. Selling the two types of devices together can make sense both for the carrier and the consumer.
The G Watch is outfitted with Android Wear, Google's customized OS for wearable devices, and is compatible with handsets running Android 4.3 or higher. On the spec side, the G watch comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor and a 400mAh battery that reportedly lasts around 36 hours on a single charge. Bluetooth 4.0, a built-in compass, an accelerometer, and a gyrometer round out the package.