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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Google announces Android Wear with hardware coming from HTC, Samsung, Motorola, LG, and Asus

We knew this was coming, and somehow Google still found a way to surprise us. Today, Google has announced that it is "extending" Android to wearables with Android Wear. That word "extend" will be very important in this, because Android Wear is neither an update to the Android system, nor is it a new operating system. But, as you'll see, it does rely heavily on Google Now (as we thought it would).

In the preview videos released for Android Wear, you'll see quite a lot that you've seen before from products like Google Now and Google Glass, just translated to a smartwatch. The focus of Android Wear is in relevant contextual data, much of which you already get from Google Now like location-based weather, traffic data, reminders, travel info (airplane boarding passes, etc), and app notifications. There are the usual fitness tracking options that are already relatively standard on wearables, and interesting notifications like jellyfish warnings when you're at the beach. The interface is gesture-based, but quite a lot of the functionality seems to come from the voice command system, which does include the song recognition feature in Google Now. 

Google has also started the rollout of the Android Wear SDK Developer Preview. Again, Google has been very careful to say that the SDK will allow developers to "extend" app functionality to wearables, meaning this is not a platform which will have standalone apps on it to start. Google has also announced partnerships with a number of manufacturers to bring wearable products to market, including LG, Samsung, Motorola, HTC, and Asus.

The info page also shows support from Intel, MediaTek, Broadcomm, and Qualcomm, which indicates that there should be quite a few different devices at different price points on the way. Even more interestingly, Fossil is listed as a partner, which could mean there will be some more stylish watches on the way as well.

Read More

Google announces Android Wear with hardware coming from HTC, Samsung, Motorola, LG, and Asus

We knew this was coming, and somehow Google still found a way to surprise us. Today, Google has announced that it is "extending" Android to wearables with Android Wear. That word "extend" will be very important in this, because Android Wear is neither an update to the Android system, nor is it a new operating system. But, as you'll see, it does rely heavily on Google Now (as we thought it would).

In the preview videos released for Android Wear, you'll see quite a lot that you've seen before from products like Google Now and Google Glass, just translated to a smartwatch. The focus of Android Wear is in relevant contextual data, much of which you already get from Google Now like location-based weather, traffic data, reminders, travel info (airplane boarding passes, etc), and app notifications. There are the usual fitness tracking options that are already relatively standard on wearables, and interesting notifications like jellyfish warnings when you're at the beach. The interface is gesture-based, but quite a lot of the functionality seems to come from the voice command system, which does include the song recognition feature in Google Now. 

Google has also started the rollout of the Android Wear SDK Developer Preview. Again, Google has been very careful to say that the SDK will allow developers to "extend" app functionality to wearables, meaning this is not a platform which will have standalone apps on it to start. Google has also announced partnerships with a number of manufacturers to bring wearable products to market, including LG, Samsung, Motorola, HTC, and Asus.

The info page also shows support from Intel, MediaTek, Broadcomm, and Qualcomm, which indicates that there should be quite a few different devices at different price points on the way. Even more interestingly, Fossil is listed as a partner, which could mean there will be some more stylish watches on the way as well.

Read More