Google Launches 'Android Wear' Project for Wearable Devices

Tuesday March 18, 2014 10:34 am PDT by Juli Clover
As promised, Google today announced its "Android Wear" project, which is designed to bring Android to wearable devices. To begin with, Android Wear will be focused on watches that will come in a range of styles from several different manufacturers.

Most of us are rarely without our smartphones in hand. These powerful supercomputers keep us connected to the world and the people we love. But we're only at the beginning; we've barely scratched the surface of what's possible with mobile technology. That's why we’re so excited about wearables—they understand the context of the world around you, and you can interact with them simply and efficiently, with just a glance or a spoken word.
Android Wear for watches is designed to offer several functions over basic time telling. The app will provide notifications, messages, and updates from social networking apps and it will include Google Now capabilities allowing users to say "Ok Google" to ask questions, send texts, set alarms, and more. The "Ok, Google" function can also be used to control other devices, pulling up a music playlist on a phone or casting a movie to the TV.

Android Wear is also designed to be health-oriented, providing reminders for exercise goals and fitness summaries. Fitness apps designed to be compatible with Android Wear will be able to give real-time speed, distance, and time information.

Google's Android developer site has gained a new section focused on wearables. Developers can obtain a Developer Preview of the software, designed to allow them to tailor existing app notifications for watches that will be powered by Android Wear.


Google has plans to release additional developer resources and APIs in the near future and has announced partnerships with several different electronics manufacturers including Asus, HTC, LG, Motorola, and Samsung, which could see a range of wearable Android-based devices appearing later this year. LG, for example, will launch a watch next quarter with Android, and Motorola has its own Android Wear watch in the works.

The company is also partnering with chip makers Broadcom, Imagination, Intel, Mediatek, and Qualcomm, plus fashion brands including the Fossil Group to introduce watches powered by Android Wear in 2014.

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Michaelgtrusa
75 months ago
looks good.
Rating: 36 Votes
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Lapidus
75 months ago
This is the first time I'm getting afraid that Apple might lose everything to Google someday. Should they really keep everything closed? Google is so much faster with opening up everything..
Rating: 27 Votes
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irmongoose
75 months ago
Great, now how about you show us an actual product?



irmongoose
Rating: 25 Votes
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NachoGrande
75 months ago
I soooo don't need one.....


Edit: for all of the people saying I'll want one if Apple makes it. The answer is still no. I have Zero desire to have information on my wrist. It's already obnoxious enough having a conversation with someone when their head is buried in their phone. Now they'll be staring down at their wrist. No thanks.

Only time I'd wear one would be during a workout.
Rating: 23 Votes
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Roessnakhan
75 months ago

Because it's all fake. :cool:


Going to be real soon with the Moto 360 (http://moto360.motorola.com/).
Rating: 22 Votes
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mattopotamus
75 months ago
That looks really nice...especially compared to the current competition.
Rating: 22 Votes
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portlandia
75 months ago

Whatever happened to Google TV? I thought that was the next big thing? And where's Google Glass? This company can't seem to actually execute much of anything. Lot's of commercials, fluffy fawning tech articles and thinly veiled ads on tech sites though.

But what do you expect from an advertising and PR company. That's what they do best.

Google TV was the last time I'm investing in anything Google comes up with that wasn't already established. They just can't seem to do anything right other than search, ads, and cheap.


Google TV has a very successful child called "Chromecast." You should look it up. I have the latest Apple TV but undeniably, I use Chromecast more because of it's ease of use, faster response time, and HDMI CEC which changes my TV's input to Chromecast as soon as I play something on it using my phone.

Google Glass is still in it's beta phase with developers getting the action on it. I've used one and it is quite amazing. I really wish they would make it compatible with the iPhone but I doubt that will ever happen.

If you can't provide a logical argument, I suggest that you just keep your thoughts to yourself and not sound like a "fanboy" that denounces anything that goes against Apple.
Rating: 21 Votes
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MasterHowl
75 months ago
(I don't think it's true, but) it would be so funny if Apple aren't even thinking about bringing out an "iWatch" and they just put out false rumours to troll all the other tech companies and watch them scramble something round as quick as they can :D
Rating: 21 Votes
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PlutoPrime
75 months ago

This is the first time I'm getting afraid that Apple might lose everything to Google someday. Should they really keep everything closed? Google is so much faster with opening up everything..


Google just video-launched a product that doesn't even exist. You don't even know if the round-watch device has a 20 minute battery life or a 2 hour battery life. For all we know, you don't even know if it was CGI magic with a round hunk of metal that created that video.

Google loves vapor/paper-launching. As always, there were no release dates, and no actual products launched that you can use today (forget the alpha SDK, anyone who has developed for Android knows what a nightmare it is to develop cross-platform code on there).

If I were you, I would go buy some more Apple shares today. There is still one company in the world who waits and waits, and only open its mouth and releases something when it's not vapor-ware. When you can actually go buy it in the next few weeks. When you can actually start using it. When you know.. it actually matters.

Google launched this so when Apple releases an actual working, purchasable product, they can anchor back to this video and say: "Look, we're not copying Apple! We're innovators! We were first! We're a giant university of idea-men! We've got tons of ideas! Ideas as we all know are worth 100000x more than execution!!! We are Google!!! The innovation capital of the google-verse. All bow to our vapor-novation"


Google is just an ad company that has a ton of money to run vapor-ware science experiments with.

(P.S. I also think you should buy some Google shares, they're going to keep rocking the advertisement/data world)
Rating: 20 Votes
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edwardlanti
75 months ago
Wow. This place has changed so much recently. I been a member for a long time but regular post in here. Why are people so negative when it comes to Google? I use Mac, but also use Android. Is not our fault that Apple likes to keep everything behind the scenes unlike Google that opens up everything to public and they go from there. Competition is always good and Remember apple wasn't first in anything in a very long time.
Rating: 17 Votes

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