The LG Watch Urbane 2 was exciting when it was announced, since it was the first Android Wear device capable of working as a stand-alone mobile gadget with a built-in LTE connection. Then it wasn't, because LG delayed the launch after an unspecified (but apparently quite serious) hardware defect. Now the launch is back on: AT&T announced its pre-order plans earlier this week, and now it's Verizon's turn. The carrier is taking pre-orders now, with watches shipping (and presumably ready at retail) on April 1st. No foolin'.

A lot of money, as it turns out. While the AT&T version of the Watch Urbane 2 is $360, or $200 with a two-year contract, the Verizon model is a whopping $499.99 outright. You can get a discount for signing a contract, but it's only $50 - not much of an incentive. For the sake of comparison, Samsung's Gear S2 (with a 3G radio and a circular screen, but running Tizen software) is going for $400 on Verizon.

The Watch Urbane 2 LTE includes capabilities for voice calls sans phone, NFC, GPS, and a built-in speaker and microphone. The watch includes Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connection for more conventional Android Wear functionality. That being said, it runs on the same Snapdragon 400 chipset that Wear devices have been using since their inception. Since new models are probably coming this summer or fall, anyone looking for the latest and greatest might want to wait for a purchase.

Source: Verizon news