Back in 2018, luxury brand Montblanc was the first to launch a Snapdragon Wear 3100 watch. Montblanc is now back with a Summit 2+ that’s slightly larger and adds LTE. Meanwhile, this debut is coinciding with Google adding eSIM activation and management from the Wear OS companion app.

The Montblanc Summit 2+ (via CNET) is visually unchanged from the original with a rather pronounced rotating crown and two side buttons. It’s available in four finishes: stainless, rose gold, and bronze steel, as well as a black DLC.

To accommodate an LTE radio, the case size (42 vs 43.5mm) and AMOLED screen (1.2 vs 1.28-inches) is larger. Those increases come with a larger battery (340 to 440mAh) with the watch touted to last all-day. However, water resistance is now only IPX8 instead of 5ATM. It’s still powered by the Snapdragon Wear 3100 with 1GB of RAM.

Of course, the signature hardware spec is the addition of LTE. This allows for on-watch calls (thanks to a new speaker), messages, and music streaming without needing a phone. In the US, service will be available through Verizon, while Google has added eSIM management directly through the Wear OS companion app on Android.

Embedded SIM support is appearing in more and more smartphones, but there’s a ton of promise for wearables where hardware is still constrained. Other upsides are simplified set-up and more seamless carrier switching.

Montblanc watch faces draw obvious inspiration from its mechanical lineup, while there are a number of travel-focused apps. The Montblanc Summit 2+ starts at $1,170 in a slight increase from $995.

Cover image via Computer Base

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