Google announces Android for wearables

Between the Pebble Steel (and its other   competitors) and Google Glass, wearable tech has made its début. Engineers are looking for new and unique places for people to integrate themselves. When Pebble came out with their first smart watch, it did not take long for Samsung and other companies to follow suit. This week Google announced the next step in wearable tech: Android Wear. Since Android is the most popular mobile platform on the market, Google wanted to adapt it so that hardware manufacturers could use it on devices other than just phones. Motorola, which is owned by Google, was quick to follow up with its own announcement: the first Android Wear-based smart watch. Right now Android Wear is in a developer beta, and is not meant for public use, but Android wearables will be selling as soon as this summer.

Google announced Android Wear on Tuesday, March 18, with a blog post detailing the features they hope to make and the goals they hope to accomplish. “Useful information when you need it the most”, “straight answers to spoken questions”, “the ability to better monitor your health and fitness”, and “your key to a multiscreen world.” In addition, a video was released introducing the developers’ preview, as well as a demo of what Android Wear might look like. One of the key features introduced is voice commands and interaction, something current smart watches do not have. On Android Wear, you can use Google’s trademark “Ok Google” to issue questions and commands to your wearable tech.

It seems Google’s goal with Android Wear is similar to that of Google Glass. They want to minimize interaction and provide real-time information and updates. In other words, rather than opening apps, typing out emails, and browsing the Internet like you would on your phone, Android Wear is meant to perform a limited number of tasks, all of which requiring little effort from the user. For example, an Android smart watch would notify you of upcoming meetings, but it probably will not be able to show you your entire calendar and let you delete and modify your appointments.

The first Android Wear watch to be announced was the Moto 360. The first noticeable difference between the Moto 360 and other smart watches is the shape. It’s round. Most smart watches on the market are square, probably as a result of the engineering difficulties in making a round LCD screen, or maybe because all screens are traditionally rectangular. Either way, the Moto 360 looks more like a regular watch, and still provides all the functionality of a smart watch. Motorola expects to be selling its new smart watch in early summer of this year.