Apple, Samsung beware: Google Android Wear has a lot more up its sleeve than watches

Search giant Google has announced its entry into the wearable computing segment in a rather grand way, and it’s supposedly working on a lot more than what we already know – Glass and watches.

Google is of curse extending its Android platform to wearables beyond Glass, and in a blog post it announced the launch of Android Wear, which is essentially a way for the company to extend its mobile platform to a new category of devices.

The blog post, however, gives enough pointers that Google has much more than Glass and watches on its mind, and it will perhaps soon be looking to conquer other parts of the human anatomy – say, the neck (chains, necklaces etc.), fingers (rings) and the waist (belts) etc.

“We’re starting with the most familiar wearable – watches,” says the blog post signed by Google’s senior veep for Android, Chrome & Apps, Sundar Pichai.

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Google is also offering a developer preview – i.e., developers can access a new section on developer.android.com/wear focused on wearables. You can download a Developer Preview so you can tailor your existing app notifications for watches powered by Android Wear.

“Because Android for wearables works with Android’s rich notification system, many apps will already work well. Look out for more developer resources and APIs coming soon,” the blog notes.

 

“We’re also already working with several consumer electronics manufacturers, including Asus, HTC, LG, Motorola and Samsung; chip makers Broadcom, Imagination, Intel, Mediatek and Qualcomm; and fashion brands like the Fossil Group to bring you watches powered by Android Wear later this year.”

Interestingly LG has already announced its upcoming G Watch and erstwhile Google subsidiary Motorola previewed the Moto 360 in announcements that were clearly timed to coincide with Google’s introduction of Android Wear.

LG said it is working on the G Watch, powered by Android Wear, which will be compatible with a wide range of Android smartphones and will present relevant information to users just when they need it or whenever they say “OK Google” to ask questions or get stuff done. “As one of Google’s lead partners in this effort, LG is planning to introduce its first watch powered by Android Wear in the second quarter of 2014,” LG said. Which could mean that we might see the G Watch as soon as next month, and most probably before end-June.

The Moto 360, on the other hand, will be available “in Summer 2014, starting in the US,” says Motorola. “It’s time,” says Motorola in its launch announcement, and maintains that its vision for the Moto 360 was to celebrate the history of the ubiquitous wristwatch “as we reimagined the wristwatch for the future.”

In both the cases, the always-on ‘OK Google’ feature is the most interesting feature. But there's more to Wear than just putting voice search on your wrist.

Basically, anytime you need to do something with your watch, just say ‘OK Google’ and everything from your flight time to your restaurant reservations and turn-by-turn directions through Google Maps will be just a voice command away.

In effect, come April 2014, and we’ll see a lot more people talking to their watches, Star Trek-style. And of Google has its way, we’ll soon be talking to our fingers, necks and waists too!

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