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posted by Fnord666 on Tuesday December 27 2016, @05:36PM   Printer-friendly
from the I-prefer-a-dumb-watch dept.

The smartwatch isn't dead, it's just waiting for a new service pack:

Google will be launching two new flagship smartwatches in the first quarter of next year, according to Jeff Chang, product manager of Android Wear at Google. In an exclusive interview with The Verge, Chang said that the new watches will be the flagship Android Wear 2.0 devices and will be the first ones to launch with the new platform. The new smartwatches had been rumored before, but Google confirmed the upcoming launch today as part of a larger effort to convince consumers that wearables — smartwatches specifically — are still in demand.

The new models will not have Google or Pixel branding, but will be branded by the company that is manufacturing them. Chang says that Google collaborated with the manufacturer — which he wouldn't name, but said has produced Android Wear devices in the past — on the hardware design and software integration for the watches. He likened the partnership to Google's Nexus smartphone program in terms of collaboration and goals.

Quick, get in the market while Apple is bleeding! Don't forget the fitness-related branding.

More information about Android Wear operating system. In other news, Niantic has launched Pokémon Go for the Apple Watch.


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  • (Score: 2) by Nerdfest on Tuesday December 27 2016, @07:25PM

    by Nerdfest (80) on Tuesday December 27 2016, @07:25PM (#446415)

    I have a first release Moto360 that I got a while after they first came out. It's definitely primarily used for very quick access to notifications, including reading emails, but I also use it a lot for controlling my music, seeing what song is playing, quick access to Google Authenticator, appointments, countdown timer, etc. The Pebble I had before was almost as good, and better in some ways. For me, if it's less than $200, it's value ratio works for me.

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