This year could belong to the smart watch, should all the big-name companies release the devices they’re rumored to be working on. The Kickstarter-funded Pebble watch most recently brought the concept into the public eye, while Sony has a wrist-worn Bluetooth device of its own already on sale, and those with plenty of disposable cash may find the comprehensively specced but outrageously expensive I’m Watch suitably lustworthy. However, despite all these options, at the moment all eyes are on Apple and Samsung’s rumored efforts.
Apple’s iWatch, or whatever it’ll be called, has been talked about for a while, but as with all potential future Apple products, nothing is officially confirmed and its existence is pure speculation bar some existing patents. Samsung’s Galaxy Watch – or as is more likely, the S Watch – is slightly more official, after an executive at the Galaxy S4 launch confirmed the company had long been working on such a product.
Now another name has been added to the list, and unsurprisingly it’s Google. According to the Financial Times, it has been hearing rumors the Android team is also working on a smart watch and like all the others, it’ll be an extension to the smartphone which presumably will spend more time in your pocket or bag. The newspaper has also dug up a Google patent for a watch from 2011, which includes features such as a camera, a, “Tactile user interface,” and a, “Flip-up display.”
So, that’s the big three all said to be working on a connected version of something many will not have worn for years, and those that do prefer something chunky and expensive. Google is showing considerable interest in wearable technology at the moment, with its talking shoes and exciting Project Glass spectacles, making its rumored watch the one with the best pedigree. Now all we have to do is wait for the first one to be released.
