Accessories

LG Watch Sport Review

Fitness buddy on your wrist

Published

February 23, 2018

With the influx of smartwatches available today, it sometimes gets confusing to choose which specific device suits your needs. Although they all have a common purpose, some of these wearables cater to specific audiences. There are the straightforward variants that simply track your activities, or smartwatches with unique designs that will cost you. There are also those that boast built-in features.

This is where the LG Watch Sport comes in as it runs on the latest Android Wear 2.0 OS and comes with goodies not usually seen on normal smartwatches.

Minimalist design

The LG Watch Sport doesn’t have the rotating bezel of the Samsung Gear S3 or the textured strap of the Fitbit Ionic. No, it flaunts a plain design for the bezel with a simple strap devoid of anything eye-catching.

Still, I personally like how it’s made. The watch itself is a bit thick, but nothing out of the ordinary when you compare it against other smartwatches.

The 1.38-inch circular P-OLED display has pleasing colors even under sunlight and viewing angles are decent.

On its right side, there are three buttons with the main crown having the ability to rotate. The top button launches Google Fit in an instant while the bottom is for Android Pay.

When you turn it over on its belly, you’ll be introduced to its heart rate sensor. It’s also worth noting that since this is activewear, the body is sealed to have an IP68 certification. This means it can withstand sweat, a shower, and even being submerged in up to 1.5m of water for 30 minutes.

The Watch Sport charges wirelessly through its included cradle. Just plug the USB-C cable and dock the watch to charge. This has always been my preferred charging setup — better than fumbling while trying to connect the cable to the device.

A smooth experience

As mentioned earlier, the Watch Sport already runs on Android Wear 2.0. It now comes with design updates and needed features that make the experience more enjoyable as a whole.

A selection of watch faces are fun to switch around from time to time, and standalone apps make the watch easily accessible in just a few taps.

One press of the middle button and the available apps come as a scrolling list. Apart from swiping the display to browse through them, rotating the crown scrolls through the selection which gives the experience a more tactile feel.

The LG Watch proves to be responsive when you’re swiping across the display, but tapping on selections sometimes need be done knowingly — precise and with a bit of effort.

Overall, it’s been pretty easy to navigate through its menu and submenu, even if the user isn’t familiar with the Android ecosystem.

Google Fit is your friend

Onto fitness tracking. The Sport in its name should be a dead giveaway that it focuses on your activities. Google Fit is a capable assistant during training or workout sessions as it works in tandem with the heart rate sensor to give users real-time info like BPM and calories burned.

The standalone app is accompanied by vast selections of exercise trackers ranging from backcountry skiing to kickboxing. If you’re just in the gym lifting weights, Strength Training mode is the way to go; it will give you a summary of how your workout went.

I’d say that a big chunk of why I appreciate this smartwatch is the fact that it’s somehow centered around Google Fit. The one-press button to launch and scrolling to browse through its activity features make it easy to just have it on your wrist when you hit the gym.

Extra features to enjoy (depending on where you are)

The Watch Sport isn’t just useful when you’re sweating it out. LG also made it capable to be used for everyday payments through Android Pay. Although there’s already a fair number of countries that support this system, it’s still not available widely so that’s one thing to consider.

Another thing is that the watch accepts a nano-SIM card which allows users to still be connected without using a phone. The problem is, it works only in the US, as other countries don’t currently support full features (like NumberSync).

Battery life could be better

But then again, most smartwatches don’t excel in this department. This is because it’s always been a challenge to equip watches with a large capacity pack while at the same time making the shell as thin as possible.

In real-life use, taking it off its charging cradle in the morning will last you for about 10 hours, so you’ll barely make it in time back to your place to charge. Activate its always-on display and expect battery life to drain almost twice as fast.

Verdict

The LG Watch Sport is easily a friend to gym buffs and fitness freaks, if you have the US$ 300 budget. It might not help list down your caloric or water intake, but it will be with you every step of your training.

It does all the things that a usual smartwatch does, but it’s just a bit of a downer that you have to be in select places to fully take advantage of its features (although I still enjoy mine with no Android Pay and SIM connectivity).

At the end of the day, it’s your routine and what you do that dictates your need for devices like this.

Is the LG Watch Sport your GadgetMatch?

Related Topics:LG LG Watch Sport Watch Sport

Accessories

Jackery expands Explorer Series portable power stations

For life uninterrupted

Published

August 19, 2026

GadgetMatch

Jackery has expanded its Explorer Series, introducing three new models: the Explorer 300D, Explorer 500 V2, and Explorer 2000 V2.

These new portable power station models join the earlier Explorer 100 Plus, 300 Plus, and 1000 V2 releases earlier in the year.

Each is built for different needs, from brief power interruptions to outdoor adventures and prolonged outages.

The Jackery Explorer 300D is a grab-and-go variant for unexpected power cuts. It is a compact power station weighing just about 2.5 kilograms and is 64% smaller than standard 300Wh units.

With a speaker-like form factor, 288Wh capacity, and 300W total DC output, it is the ideal power station for content creators, remote workers, and outdoor enthusiasts who live life on the move.

It can juice up a fast-charging Type-C laptop three to four times, smartphones up to 22 times, and drone batteries four to five times.

The Explorer 300D comes with unique DC-only design to eliminate idle power loss. It also has a 2-in-1 shoulder strap that unclips to double as a heavy-duty 140W USB-C charging cable.

Meanwhile, the Jackery Explorer 500 V2 packs a 512Wh capacity and 500W max output into a sleek frame.

It has an Uninterruptible Power Supply switchover time of under 10 milliseconds, ensuring devices such as Wi-Fi routers or laptops will not drop connection. It can also power up a desk fan for about 8.5 hours.

For easy storage, it has a fold-down handle. This makes the power station also portable to carry with you wherever you need it.

Lastly, the heavy-duty Jackery Explorer 2000 V2 features a massive 2,042Wh capacity and 2,200W inverter.

Weighing just 17.9 kilograms, it is about 41% lighter and 34% smaller than standard generators in the 2kWh category.

It can power a standard inverter refrigerator for up to 14 hours, run a 1.0 HP air conditioner for up to 3.5 hours, or power multiple electric fans for up to 28 hours.

It can also power kitchen essentials like rice cookers, small water heaters or coffee makers, and microwaves, in case hunger strikes amidst a power interruption.

The Explorer 2000 V2 also features an EV-grade LiFePO4 battery engineered for over 10 years of daily use.

The entire Jackery lineup is available on Lazada, Shopee, the Jackery kiosk at SM Fairview, and other partner stores.

Accessories

Pulse Elevate wireless speakers come to Southeast Asia this November

Pre-orders open September 2

Published

August 19, 2026

Rodneil Quiteles

PlayStation is expanding its audio lineup with the Pulse Elevate wireless speakers, its first wireless speakers developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The speakers will launch in Southeast Asia starting November 12, 2026, with pre-orders opening September 2.

The Pulse Elevate speakers are designed for desktop gaming on PS5, PC, and Mac, while also supporting portable use with the PlayStation Portal remote player and smartphones. They combine planar magnetic drivers, built-in woofers, and PlayStation Link wireless connectivity for low-latency, lossless audio.

Each speaker uses a studio-inspired planar magnetic driver to deliver sound across the audible spectrum. Built-in woofers add richer bass, while the speakers can enhance positional audio in PS5 games that support Tempest 3D AudioTech.

The right speaker also has a built-in microphone with AI-enhanced noise rejection. This allows users to handle voice chat without wearing a headset while helping filter out unwanted background noise.

Designed for gaming and beyond

Pulse Elevate uses PlayStation Link for ultra-low-latency wireless audio with compatible devices, including the PS5, PC, Mac, and PlayStation Portal. The speakers also support Bluetooth, allowing users to listen to audio from a Bluetooth device while using PlayStation Link for another connected device.

A PlayStation Link USB adapter is included and works with USB-C ports. The speakers also feature built-in rechargeable batteries, letting users take them on the go. Charging docks are included for returning to a desktop setup.

Users can adjust the speakers’ volume directly and position them horizontally or vertically. PS5 and PC users can also customize EQ, sidetone, volume, and microphone mute settings through system menus.

Pulse Elevate will be available in Midnight Black and White.

Price and availability

Pulse Elevate wireless speakers will launch starting November 12, 2026. Pre-orders begin September 2 at local retailers. Availability may vary by market and retailer.

The recommended retail prices are:

Singapore: SGD 319
Malaysia: MYR 1,099
Thailand: THB 8,499
Philippines: PHP 14,709
Vietnam: VND 6,999,000

The Pulse Elevate marks Sony Interactive Entertainment’s first entry into wireless speakers, extending the PlayStation audio ecosystem beyond the Pulse Elite headset and Pulse Explore earbuds.

Accessories

Apple is working on AirPods with built-in cameras

References to the wearable were spotted inside a new macOS beta.

Published

August 18, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

The launch of operating system betas is a cause of celebration for those digging into what’s next for a brand. No other company does that better than Apple. Today, Apple released a new release candidate for macOS Tahoe 26.7. As expected, the release has a treasure trove of references to unreleased devices, including a new type of AirPods with built-in cameras.

Let’s get the obvious out of the way first. The references include a slew of unreleased iPads, Macs, and HomePods. Since these devices are already expected to come out, they’re hardly worth nothing. This includes the iPhone 18 series. If anything, the references confirm the iPhone Ultra, the rumored entry into the foldable market, but that’s it.

Now, the more interesting inclusion is a pair of AirPods with cameras. Despite the controversies surrounding cameras on smart glasses, Apple is reportedly building audio-based wearables with cameras themselves.

In a short demo video (also obtained from the macOS beta via MacRumors), the AirPods can apparently “save” things that it sees, including a book you might want to search for later. In that way, the built-in camera acts more like a voice assistant, rather than a recording device.

Though the references don’t confirm a launch date, it’s likely that the camera-based AirPods will come out sometime soon. After all, why would a blatant reference be inside a publicly available beta?