FCC papers tease a 3G smartwatch from LG

Despite being useful in some ways the smartwatch is still heavily reliant on the smartphone to function. Even the recently unveiled Gear S from Samsung is useless without a smartphone to work with. But they’re babysteps, small but important, and with papers from the US FCC teasing a 3G smartwatch from LG we might not be so far away from an independent smartwatch device.

According to the papers filed at the FCC, the device, known as the LG-VC100. It seems to be slightly more than the Gear S, but still seems to come with a square display if the dimensions on the papers are anything to go by. Honestly I though we were past that, square watchfaces are not nice.

It’s not clear what kind of watch it will be. Will it be like the Gear S that is dependent on a smartphone connection, even over 3G, or will it be like the Neptune Pine and able to make calls independently. We don’t know at this point, just that a 3G connection will be involved somehow. At the very least it’s likely that it will be like the Gear S.

Even then we might not see the device some to fruition. Usually when something goes through regulatory bodies like the FCC it means that it’s not just a concept that someone has cooked up, that’s what patents are for. When and where we’ll see it is unclear, hopefully it won’t be more than a few months away.

Want to read more? If you’re looking to buy a wearable or activity tracker, we’ve found the best wearables to keep you safe, but, if they’re too expensive, here are the best budget wearables and activity trackers for under £70.

If you’re not bothered by wearables at all, but still want help with keeping fit, check out our feature on 10 kitchen gadgets, tools and utensils for healthy living.