Google and LG Working on Android Smart Watch Set for June Reveal

Google and LG are working on a smart watch that will likely be unveiled at the Google I/O developer conference in June, reports CNET. Google will reveal details on the device's operating system in advance of the hardware announcement, giving developers time to create apps for the device's retail launch.

google_lg_logo
Google's smart watch endeavor will mirror its Nexus line of mobile devices, with Google providing the software and a manufacturer partner designing the hardware. Google is said to be working with LG on the smart watch, continuing a partnership established with the development of the Nexus 4 and Nexus 5. Similar to their work on the Nexus devices, Google will lead the marketing and sale of the smart watch, while LG will focus on developing the hardware.

Google's smart watch will be powered by a version of Android that will integrate the company's Google Now voice assistant and search feature. The Wall Street Journal also adds that Google's smart watch will be compatible with a variety of Android devices, setting it apart from other smart watches such as the Samsung Galaxy Gear and Gear 2.

Apple is rumored to be working on its own iWatch smart watch that could debut later this year. Recent reports suggest the device may include advanced sensors to track several health-related functions, such as blood glucose and hydration levels. Other rumors also suggest that Apple is developing Healthbook, an iOS 8 app that would utilize both the iPhone and iWatch for monitoring health statistics like weight, heart rate, calories and step counts.

Popular Stories

New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

20 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2

Monday December 16, 2024 8:55 am PST by
Apple released iOS 18.2 in the second week of December, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. Apple has added a handful of new non-AI related feature controls as...
iphone 16 apple intelligence

Apple Drops Plans for iPhone Hardware Subscription Service

Wednesday December 18, 2024 11:39 am PST by
Apple is no longer planning to launch a hardware subscription service that would let customers "subscribe" to get a new iPhone each year, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman first shared rumors about Apple's work on a hardware subscription service back in 2022, and at the time, he said that Apple wanted to develop a simple system that would allow customers to pay a monthly fee to gain...
iPhone 17 Pro Dual Tone Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Rumored to Stick With 'Triangular' Camera Design

Wednesday December 18, 2024 2:36 am PST by
Contrary to recent reports, the iPhone 17 Pro will not feature a horizontal camera layout, according to the leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post on Weibo, the leaker said that a source has confirmed that while the appearance of the back of the iPhone 17 Pro has indeed changed, the layout of the three cameras is "still triangular," rather than the "horizontal bar spread on the...
elevation lab airtag battery

Your AirTag's Battery Will Last for Up to 10 Years With Elevation Lab's New TimeCapsule Enclosure

Wednesday December 18, 2024 10:05 am PST by
Elevation Lab today announced the launch of TimeCapsule, an innovative and simple solution for increasing the battery life of Apple's AirTag. Priced at $20, TimeCapsule is an AirTag enclosure that houses two AA batteries that offer 14x more battery capacity than the CR2032 battery that the AirTag runs on. It works by attaching the AirTag's upper housing to the built-in custom contact in the...
apple tv 4k yellow bg feature

New Apple TV Rumored to Launch Next Year With These Features

Tuesday December 17, 2024 9:02 am PST by
The current Apple TV 4K was released more than two years ago, so the streaming device is becoming due for a hardware upgrade soon. Fortunately, it was recently rumored that a new Apple TV will launch at some point next year. Below, we recap rumors about the next-generation Apple TV. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman last week reported that Apple has been working on its own combined Wi-Fi and...
blackmagic vision pro

Blackmagic Debuts $30K 3D Camera for Capturing Video for Vision Pro

Monday December 16, 2024 4:17 pm PST by
Blackmagic today announced that its URSA Cine Immersive camera is now available for pre-order, with deliveries set to start late in the first quarter of 2025. Blackmagic says that this is the world's first commercial camera system designed to capture 3D content for the Vision Pro. The URSA Cine Immersive camera was first introduced in June, but it has not been available for purchase until...
mac pro creativity

Apple Launched the Controversial 'Trashcan' Mac Pro 11 Years Ago Today

Thursday December 19, 2024 7:00 pm PST by
Apple launched the controversial "trashcan" Mac Pro eleven years ago today, introducing one of its most criticized designs that persisted through a period of widespread discontentment with the Mac lineup. The redesign took the Mac Pro in an entirely new direction, spearheaded by a polished aluminum cylindrical design that became unofficially dubbed the "trashcan" in the Mac community. All of ...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature

'iPhone 17 Air' With 'Major' Design Changes and 19-Inch MacBook Detailed in New Report

Sunday December 15, 2024 9:47 am PST by
Apple is planning a series of "major design" and "format changes" for iPhones over the next few years, according to The Wall Street Journal's Aaron Tilley and Yang Jie. The paywalled report published today corroborated the widely-rumored "iPhone 17 Air" with an "ultrathin" design that is thinner than current iPhone models. The report did not mention a specific measurement, but previous...

Top Rated Comments

ValSalva Avatar
141 months ago
A Google watch. More like a wrist version of an ankle tracker :D
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
pmz Avatar
141 months ago
It would be funny if Apple weren't even working on a SmartWatch and Google, Samsung, Pebble and the rest were all gambling on the wrong competitor....

None of these companies care about making something great. They just feel the need to make something that Apple is going to make.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
notjustjay Avatar
141 months ago
How do you know it won't be as good as iWatch, even if is not available yet? Or you just thinking iWatch will be the best?

Things I've learned from reading this thread:

1. Apple was first. Just because they haven't even officially confirmed they are working on a smart watch, let alone announced a release date, doesn't mean we don't all know it's true. All these other guys, they're just copying Apple. As always.

2. It doesn't even matter, because Apple's will be the best. The competition might as well just give up now.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
samcraig Avatar
141 months ago
It would be funny if Apple weren't even working on a SmartWatch and Google, Samsung, Pebble and the rest were all gambling on the wrong competitor....

None of these companies care about making something great. They just feel the need to make something that Apple is going to make.

You think Pebble was "encouraged" by Apple rumors of a smartwatch? Wow.

I haven't seen a single person using one and if I walked into a meeting wearing one I would be ridiculed for the first 5 minutes of the meeting and then never hear the end of it.

I bought one. I didn't think I would ever want or need a smart watch. Or even a watch as I rarely wear one. But through a "double" sale- I got a Pebble for about $90 so I impulse bought one.

Now that I have one- I love it. Why? Because at work I often have my phone at my desk - but now when I walk away - I get alerts to emails or if someone is calling me (I keep my ringer off.) At home - I have a toddler and when she's asleep - again - my phone is on mute. Further - I have almost never heard my phone or many times felt the vibration - but I can easily feel my wrist vibrate when a call comes in - and I can see who's calling without looking at the phone. To me - that was $90 well spent even without any other benefits.

I like the Pebble - it might not be complex or have a "screen of the future" - but it's the exact functionality I would want or need without being complicated or having too much thrown in just to be cool. THAT is why I believe it's successful.

While there may be an audience for the Dick Tracy watch of the "future" - I think most prefer simplicity over a ton of functions. Because - at the end of the day - most things you want to see or do are better on a larger screen.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Nanasaki Avatar
141 months ago
It would be funny if Apple weren't even working on a SmartWatch and Google, Samsung, Pebble and the rest were all gambling on the wrong competitor....

None of these companies care about making something great. They just feel the need to make something that Apple is going to make.

Pebble is actually very good. I seen lots of people using it and it generally received lots of good praise from users and reviewers.

Why would you think anyone making smart watch are trying to gambling with Apple? So you think just because there is rumour that Apple is making smart watch so everyone just rushing into the market? This does not make any business sense.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
notjustjay Avatar
141 months ago
I know this isn't really adding much to the discussion, but as I keep reading these news articles about Samsung, Google, Apple, etc. releasing smart watches, I keep thinking "... but I don't want one of those."

I guess I'll have to wait and see, but this is one product category that really isn't appealing to me. It'll be the first Apple product where I've said "hmm, don't really care".

----------

It would be funny if Apple weren't even working on a SmartWatch and Google, Samsung, Pebble and the rest were all gambling on the wrong competitor....

None of these companies care about making something great. They just feel the need to make something that Apple is going to make.

I would argue that of all the released/proposed smart watches, Pebble makes the most interesting one. And, being first to market, they have a head start, a growing collection of supported apps, etc.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)