Smart phones are so integrated into our lives that it is unbelievable the first models came out almost seven years ago. Then, Apple reinvigorated a lethargic tablet market in 2010 and the rest is history.
Today, there is anticipation of a new category of mobile technology: the smart watch.
Currently, there are a few of these devices in the market, such as the Samsung Galaxy Gear and the Pebble smart watch. However, apparel is considered by reviewers to be mediocre and I simply don’t hear much about the Pebble smart watch anymore, as nice as it is.
Perhaps, these two companies are not enough to stimulate demand. Love or hate Apple, the company is arguably the best at stimulating demand in a new product category (as expensive as its products can be for a lot of people).
Nonetheless, Apple’s entry into this category is still a rumor.
On March 18, Google revealed in a blog post that they plan to make its line of wearables. They said,
“[W]e’re only at the beginning: we’ve barely scratched the surface of what’s possible with mobile technology … [Wearables] … understand the context of the world around you, and you can interact with them simply and efficiently, with just a glance or a spoken world.”
The company’s smart watches will run on its Android operating system, which is like Apple’s iOS. They will also feature integration with Google Now, a personal assistant similar to Siri.
These features will allow the devices to pull notifications from Android smart phones and tablets, including posts from social apps, chats from messaging apps, shopping, news, photography and so forth.
If a person needs to know the weather or when his or her flight leaves, he or she can say, “OK Google” and then make the appropriate inquiry that will give the information. It can also be used to send a text, set an alarm or find a location via GPS.
Smart watches will also be able to control media on devices running Android and be able to interact with Chromecast, Google’s digital media player, which has support for Google Play, Netflix, YouTube, Pandora Radio, Hulu Plus and other services.
As a user of Android and Google services, I hope Google can successfully pull this off. In addition, I look forward to the efforts of Apple and other companies in this new, exciting field because this is something I think users of all ecosystems can enjoy.