Feb 09, 2017 12:46 AM EST By Dan Archer, UniversityHerald Reporter

Wireless giant Verizon is now launching its own branded Android Wear 2.0-powered smartwatch, the Verizon Wear24. The company made the big announcement this week.

The news came after the official announcement of LG's first Android Wear 2.0-powered smartwatches, the LG Watch Style and LG Watch Sport.

Verizon Enter The Wearable Battle

According to The Verge, the Verizon Wear24 also shares design traits with the LG Watch Sport like the large, circular display and metal case with large band attachments. The Wear24, which is the first wearable device the carrier has sold under its own banner, will feature a 1.39-inch AMOLED display, a 42 mm watch case along with a 450mAh battery and NFC for Android Pay on board.

The wearable device is 13.5 mm thick and a certified IP67 water and dust resistant. In addition, the new Verizon wearable will also feature an LTE connectivity, which means that user can send and receive text messages and phone calls without being connected to their own handset.

This isn't the first time the US wireless giant has made its own device and enter the highly competitive world of wearable. Verizon also has its own line of Ellipsis tablets which said to run on the outdated versions of Android mobile operating system and feature some low-end specs on board.

Wear24 Price And Availability

The US giant won't be charging much for this new carrier-exclusive smartwatch. According to Android Authority, the Wear24 will be available on Verizon for $299 on a two-year contract next month. That's about $30 to $80 cheaper than the industry's favorite LG Watch Sport, but the user will be getting a slightly thicker stuff here.

Interested users can check the new wearable online or in Verizon store this coming March. Verizon didn't provide much information about their new wearable, but users could expect some news updates from the carrier in the coming weeks.

First Introduced in 2014, Android Wear is Google's wrist-based operating system. It's the new version of the Android operating system that designed for smartwatches and other wearables. The wrist-based OS integrates the Google Now technology and also supports both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity.

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