All this while Apple’s (AAPL) iWatch was grabbing the attention of media, but several other interesting developments are maturing in the space of wearable devices. Google (GOOG), long rumored for making a smartwatch, attracted media focus with the news that its smartwatch is expected to unveil very soon. The search engine giant could start its shipment as early as March, but developers of the smartwatch team feel that the release date would be pushed back to June.
How smart would the watch be?
According to people close to the matter, the watch prototype featured a spectacular Pebble steel band, a vibrant digital display on the solid square shaped face. The background flaunts lively colors that keep changing gently to another sparkling shade. The watch holds the masculine touch.
It is said that Google has shipped a plastic band watch which would be released before the steel band version. This plastic band version is also one of many prototypes that the tech giant worked on. This too has an LCD background with a colored display.
Source: t3.com
Like Apple’s long awaited and highly anticipated iWatch, Google’s smartwatch too would connect to the smartphone and provide notifications, messages, alerts, calling facilities, and other things to reduce the need of taking out a smartphone every now and then. However, the watch’s software isn’t as sound as Pebble’s that supports a lot more apps. As per Wall Street Journal Google smartwatch would support “Google Now” alerts.
More than just a rumor
Players like Samsung (SSNLF) and Pebble have already made their presence felt in the smartwatch space. Cupertino is said to be working in full force to launch its game changer iWatch. Google surely doesn’t want to miss out on this untapped market of smartwatches, particularly when other big names are getting linked in its development.
Google is said to have a team that is developing the smartwatch with the help of its Android team experts. This is quite reasonable since the watch would be primarily synchronized with the Android handsets and would carry little usage as a standalone accessory.
Exciting times ahead
Industry experts estimate that the wearable device market could see a total of around 8 million shipments this year. This could incredibly increase to more than 23 million units in the next year, and to 45 million by 2017. Altho Samsung released its Galaxy Gear, the smartwatch wasn’t received that well. However, Apple and Google are expected to come out with their stunning version that could stir the market. This gives whole lot of opportunity to the Mountain View California giant to develop a solid business line altogether.
