LG G Watch to be the first Android Wear smartwatch, out next quarter

Google just announced its "extension" of the Android platform that is designed for smartwatches and other wearables, called Android Wear. We've been hearing that LG had the inside track on being the first out of the gate with an official Android smartwatch, and LG's has officially announced its first Android Wear device will be hitting store shelves next quarter.

This confirms rumors that an LG-built smartwatch would be announced and released sometime around Google I/O, which would be at the end of the next quarter (it runs from April through June). LG is calling the device the "G Watch", which shows that the device will be carrying LG branding and not Google branding, but it does sound like it will have some of the ethos of the Nexus line behind it. President and CEO of LG, Dr. Jong-seok Park said about the device:

The opportunity to work with Google on LG G Watch was the perfect chance for LG to really pull out all stops in both design and engineering. With the LG G Watch, LG is continuing the milestones we’ve set in wearables following in the footsteps of the world’s first 3G Touch Watch Phone in 2009 and the Prada Link in 2008. We’re confident that a well-designed device has the potential to take the smart wearable market by storm.

According to the announcement, LG wants the G Watch to be a "low barrier to entry" for developers, which is a hallmark of the Nexus line of devices. But, LG also wants it to be a device that will appeal to consumers. No specs have been announced, but if this is the same watch that has been rumored, it is said to have a 1.65-inch display and 4GB of storage. 

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LG G Watch to be the first Android Wear smartwatch, out next quarter

Google just announced its "extension" of the Android platform that is designed for smartwatches and other wearables, called Android Wear. We've been hearing that LG had the inside track on being the first out of the gate with an official Android smartwatch, and LG's has officially announced its first Android Wear device will be hitting store shelves next quarter.

This confirms rumors that an LG-built smartwatch would be announced and released sometime around Google I/O, which would be at the end of the next quarter (it runs from April through June). LG is calling the device the "G Watch", which shows that the device will be carrying LG branding and not Google branding, but it does sound like it will have some of the ethos of the Nexus line behind it. President and CEO of LG, Dr. Jong-seok Park said about the device:

The opportunity to work with Google on LG G Watch was the perfect chance for LG to really pull out all stops in both design and engineering. With the LG G Watch, LG is continuing the milestones we’ve set in wearables following in the footsteps of the world’s first 3G Touch Watch Phone in 2009 and the Prada Link in 2008. We’re confident that a well-designed device has the potential to take the smart wearable market by storm.

According to the announcement, LG wants the G Watch to be a "low barrier to entry" for developers, which is a hallmark of the Nexus line of devices. But, LG also wants it to be a device that will appeal to consumers. No specs have been announced, but if this is the same watch that has been rumored, it is said to have a 1.65-inch display and 4GB of storage. 

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Motorola Moto 360 smartwatch

Motorola Moto 360 smartwatch coming this summer with amazing design

Assuming you saw the news that came out a little bit ago with Google's announcement of the Android Wearplatform, you may have noticed that the promo videos featured some round smartwatches, which is somewhat odd because almost all smartwatches to date have been square or rectangular. The LG G Watchmay be the first Android smartwatch due out, but the Motorola Moto 360 already looks to be the most beautiful. Motorola has taken the path of little-to-no software enhancements to its Android devices while it is under the umbrella of Google, so it is no surprise to see that the majority of the work with the Moto 360 has gone into the hardware design, which looks absolutely beautiful. From the promo images, the device looks more like a designer wristwatch that happens to have a touchscreen, rather than the majority of smartwatches which tend to be quite obviously smart devices on your wrist.

The Moto 360 is round and made of what looks to be metal though Motorola just says it uses "premium materials". It will feature swappable wristbands, and could offer metal and leather options for those bands. The Moto 360 is planned for release this summer, and there will be a Google+ Hangout session with the lead designer Jim Wicks tomorrow at 2PM EST (11AM PST). Wicks will go through the design of the device, but it is unlikely that we'll get much in terms of specs or pricing. 

Read More

Motorola Moto 360 smartwatch

Motorola Moto 360 smartwatch coming this summer with amazing design

Assuming you saw the news that came out a little bit ago with Google's announcement of the Android Wearplatform, you may have noticed that the promo videos featured some round smartwatches, which is somewhat odd because almost all smartwatches to date have been square or rectangular. The LG G Watchmay be the first Android smartwatch due out, but the Motorola Moto 360 already looks to be the most beautiful. Motorola has taken the path of little-to-no software enhancements to its Android devices while it is under the umbrella of Google, so it is no surprise to see that the majority of the work with the Moto 360 has gone into the hardware design, which looks absolutely beautiful. From the promo images, the device looks more like a designer wristwatch that happens to have a touchscreen, rather than the majority of smartwatches which tend to be quite obviously smart devices on your wrist.

The Moto 360 is round and made of what looks to be metal though Motorola just says it uses "premium materials". It will feature swappable wristbands, and could offer metal and leather options for those bands. The Moto 360 is planned for release this summer, and there will be a Google+ Hangout session with the lead designer Jim Wicks tomorrow at 2PM EST (11AM PST). Wicks will go through the design of the device, but it is unlikely that we'll get much in terms of specs or pricing. 

Read More