The Android unit of Google has revealed that it is working on a wearable smartphone to rival Apple’s iWatch. Wearable technology has become an increasingly hot topic, with Apple ’s iWatch and the smart spectacles Google Glass dominating the headlines.
Whilst Google Glass has been tested in public and is due for launch towards the end of this year, details about Apple’s iWatch have come from a series of rumors and supposed leaks. Some reports have said the iWatch is heading into production, whereas others have suggested it is still a number of years away.
Similarly, a Google smart watch has not been confirmed, but is working on has not been confirmed, but came via an insider briefing.
The leak would, however, seem to be confirmed by the fact that last year Google had a patent application approved for a “smart watch” with dual-screen “flip-up display”, and a camera. The patent filing also mentioned a “tactile user interface” – or touchscreen.
The reported Google device is separate from the Samsung smartwatch, which the Korean firm this week confirmed that it is working on.
The challenge facing smart watch designers is miniaturisation. All the main technologies – screens, processors, GPS, mobile software, Bluetooth wireless networking – are already mature and in mass use.
The problem is fitting them into something small enough to look stylish on a wrist.
Credit: Business Insider
