The LG Watch W7 Hybrid looks like a traditional watch at first glance with its stainless-steel case and its physical hands. There is more to the W7 than meets the eye though, as the Korean manufacturer has incorporated an LC display and digital functions along with its mechanical movements and analogue hands.
The hybrid smartwatch runs Wear OS, which was previously known as Wear OS by Google and Android Wear. The W7 is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 212 SoC, which we have seen in older budget smartphones, 768 MB of RAM and 4 GB of internal storage. LG has included a 1.2-inch IPS panel and a 240 mAh battery to power the small device. The analogue hands should be able to display the time for several days after the battery has run flat too. Moreover, the W7 supports IEEE 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2.
Display
LG has equipped the W7 with a rounded IPS panel that operates natively at 360×360 pixels. The display is 1.2-inches and has a 300 PPI pixel density that makes individual pixels difficult to discern even when we look closely at our review unit.
The display gets bright too, but we occasionally struggled to read it under direct sunlight. In practical terms, this meant that we had to shield the watch before we could read the time or check notifications. The display will probably be overwhelmed by reflections during the summer too. We had no problems using the device on overcast days or in the shade.
Moreover, the IPS panel cannot individually switch off pixels like the OLED panels in the Samsung Galaxy Watch S. Hence, the former has a higher black level and a weaker contrast ratio, which makes screen content look more washed-out than it does on the Galaxy Watch S. Worse still, the W7 shines brightly in the dark or in a dark room, which is distracting and intrusive. There are no such issues with the Galaxy Watch S, as it can theoretically display absolute black tones.
Software
The W7 runs Wear OS, which Google specifically develops for wearables. You may have heard the OS referred to as Android Wear or Wear OS by Google, but Wear OS is its current branding. Our test device includes many of the features that other smartwatches include, which we have tried to detail in the screenshots below. Mind it that the W7 will only work with smartphones running at least Android 4.4 or iOS 9.3.
Wear OS can receive notifications from messaging apps like Telegram or WhatsApp, along with emails and calendar reminders. Our review unit also displays other general notifications from our smartphone too, while it also has a driving mode, which notifies you of important information like traffic updates through haptic feedback as you drive.
LG includes just eight watch faces with the W7, which is rather stingy. Thankfully, there are more to choose from on the Google Play Store should you dislike the ones that the Korean manufacturer has included.
Communication
The LG Watch W7 supports Bluetooth 4.2 and IEEE 802.11b/g/n, the latter of which means that it can only connect to 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi networks. Unfortunately, LG has included precious little else. There is no NFC chip for near-field communication, which means that you cannot use services like Google Pay. Moreover, W7 has no GPS module or LTE support. In short, the W7 is poorly equipped considering its price.
Accessories & Warranty
The LG Watch W7 comes in a matte black box with a USB cable, a charging cradle, a quick-start guide and a modular power supply. The latter is rated at 6 W (5V/1.2 A), for reference.
The watch also comes with 24 months manufacturer’s warranty. Please see our Guarantees, Return policies and Warranties article for more country-specific information.
Battery Life
There are two elements to the W7’s battery life. On the one hand, LG states that the watch can last for up to 100 days on a single charge if left in “Just Watch Mode”, which disables all smartwatch functionality. However, the manufacturer claims that the W7 will last just two full days when operating at its full capacity.
Unfortunately, LG’s latter claims proved tricky to achieve, at least in our tests. We found that we could eke out two days between charges only if we used the W7 sporadically. Checking notifications and the time more regularly typically left us with 5 to 15% charge after 12 hours use, which meant that we effectively had to charge our test device daily. Worse still, the W7 can easily run flat after just 5 hours if it is constantly set to full brightness. In short, the W7 has underwhelming battery life, especially considering it lacks some of the features that its competitors possess.
LG Watch W7 Specifications
General
| Release | October, 2018 |
| Device Name | LG Watch W7 |
| Device Type | Smartwatch |
| Ideal for (Gender) | Man & Women Both |
| Box Items | LG Watch W7, USB-C Data cable, 5V TA, Cradle |
| Predecessor | LG Watch Sport |
Body
| Shape | Circular |
| Case Dimensions | 44.5×45.4×12.9 mm |
| Case/Bezel | Stainless Steel; STS316L |
| Strap Material | Rubber |
| Strap/Band Size | 22 mm |
| Replaceable Band | Yes |
| Weight | 79.5g |
| IP Rating | IP68 |
| Water Resistance | Water resistant up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes |
| Colors | Black |
Display
| Type | LCD |
| Screen Size | 1.2 inch |
| Screen Resolution | 360×360 |
| Pixel Density | 300ppi |
| Multi Touch | Yes |
Platform
| Operating System | Wear OS by Google |
| Chipset | Qualcomm APQ8009w |
| GPU | Anderio 304 |
Memory
| RAM | 768MB |
| Internal Memory | 4GB eMMC |
Network and Connectivity
| SIM | No |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 4.2 BLE |
| WiFi | Wi-Fi 802.11 b, g, n |
| GPS | Yes |
| NFC | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0 |
| Radio | No |
Activity Tracker
| Distance | Yes |
| Heart Rate | No |
| Steps | Yes |
| Calories Consumption | Yes |
| Sleep | Yes |
Control
| Touch | Yes |
| Watchface | Yes |
| Voice Command | Yes, Google Voice |
| Personal Assistant | Yes, Google Assistant |
| Smartphone Compatibility | Android, iPhone |
| Smartphone Companion App | Android Wear- Smartwatch, LG Watch Faces, LG Call for Android Wear |
Notifications
| Activity Alert | Yes |
| SMS | Yes |
| Yes | |
| Incoming Call Alert | Yes |
| Calendar Reminder | Yes |
| Weather Forecast | Yes |
Sensors
| Accelerometer | Yes |
| Gyro | Yes |
| Heart Rate | Yes |
| Light | Yes |
| Compass/Magnetometer | Yes |
| Vibration/Haptics engine | Yes |
Sound
| Speaker | Yes |
| Microphone | Yes |
Battery
| Battery Type | Lithium Polymer |
| Capacity | 240mAh |
| Battery Life | 2-days (average) |
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