As the smartwatch concept stumbles and splutters into the public consciousness through a series of lacklustre device launches, it would seem Google is trying to come up with a way to make the idea more appealing. The word is that Google is working on a version of Android tailor-made for smartwatches.
The news comes after Samsung revealed the Gear 2 smartwatch, note the absence of the term "Galaxy" ahead of that moniker, because unlike the first Galaxy Gear smartwatch from Samsung the latest iteration doesn't use Android – no, Samsung has dropped it for its own Tizen software.
According to reports, Google is planning to unveil the smartwatch Android software as early as Spring 2014, potentially ahead of its Google I/O conference. The same reports also reiterate earlier rumours that Google has its own smartwatch product in the pipeline and it would seem it is taking a Nexus-like approach to use such a device as the launch model for its software. It is also reportedly shopping around manufacturers to get the hardware produced, with both LG and HTC said to be under consideration.
Even more interesting is this alleged prototype smartwatch, built by Motorola, which Google was apparently messing around with last year. The watch – dubbed the Google Watch or "Gem" – never made it into the public domain and is now said to be collecting dust somewhere in Google HQ. Think of it as a first-generation proof of concept, a means of testing out software, features and functionality. A release-grade product, if we eventually see one, is likely to be far better looking.
"This screen is presumably not final, as Date & Time are below the trigger for Developer Mode. We're not sure what '3 Bit mode Apps' is referring to, and without seeing any other parts of the interface it's hard to draw any conclusions," reports Android Police.
"One possibility is that 3 Bit mode would allow apps to display in 8 colours, and that the rest of the interface would be monochrome. Again though, without seeing more it's impossible to say."
The basic design of the Gem is pretty straightforward: there's a volume rocker above the display, the strap is rubberised and there's a USB charger in the strap. Unfortunately, there's no mention of specs and hardware in the leak – although it's likely this was a test device for Google's SmartWatch-specific Android build. Another point worth mentioning is what happens to this project now that Motorola is moving off to join Lenovo in China?
Motorola has already confirmed it is working on a smartwatch, which will be available later this year. Perhaps this is why both HTC and LG have been linked to Google's burgeoning smartwatch project? Out of the two companies, LG – what with its vast expertise in flexible OLED displays – seems like the best pick for the job, although HTC has been showing off wearable tech at MWC 2014, albeit behind closed doors.
Rumours also say that as with the Android phone and tablet software, Google will make the Android smartwatch software available to other manufacturers to use in their own products.
It's not clear how the new build would be different, although an obvious answer would be for it to build on KitKat's optimisation for lower-end hardware, as smartwatches offer even less scope for flashy high-end processors due to their form factor.
Other bits of speculation suggest implementation of Google's existing app and content suite and some expansion of its always-on Google Now features seen on the Nexus 5. Potentially, you may be able to say "Ok Google" to your watch to get things done. Certainly this is an idea we've heard before as earlier Google smartwatch rumours implied a focus on Google Now.
Google experimenting with a bespoke smartwatch build does make sense, we've seen the company do this before with tablets via Android Honeycomb 3.0 and subsequent builds saw the software rolled together with the smartphone versions and made adaptable across different form factors. The only issue we have with all of this is it's coming from a site called Android Headlines which doesn't cite a source for the information, so take it all with a good dollop of salt.
via Technology - Google News http://ift.tt/1hfmA0s
Put the internet to work for you.
0 comments:
Post a Comment