Google Launches 'Android Wear' Project for Wearable Devices

[apolloa]

Something is not vapor when the platform is launched and a manufacturing partner demoes a preproduction product on the same day.

But it is also not vapor when a hack job analyst or reporter spreads a rumor that a product is about to be released.

Apple hasn't said a word about the television. Whenever anyone asks, they just say it's an area of interest. They never came out said they're working on a TV. The can't be held responsible for rumors.

What the hell are you on about? Seriously, you make NO sense at all. Everything is vaporware regardless until the actual thing is shown.

I'm not sure what your point is. This article has nothing to do with Macs, nor is it about a rumour, but that's not my fault.

Apparently if you can't dispute my post logically, it's ok to post nonsense.

My point is, you made that comment in reply to a post about the products being shown, you chose to deny their existence until you can buy them, yet you read Mac Rumors, a site dedicated to nothing more than stories without any proof of the products being discussed as existing.

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MMS
Bluetooth file transfers
Video recording
Any 3rd party apps
3G

Don't forget copy and paste at launch, something Symbian had.

 

[paradox00]

My point is, you made that comment in reply to a post about the products being shown, you chose to deny their existence until you can buy them, yet you read Mac Rumors, a site dedicated to nothing more than stories without any proof of the products being discussed as existing.

There's no conflict. You can read a rumor site while still being intelligent enough to understand that a rumor, or in this case, an announcement is not the same as having a real, production ready, model ready to go.

Those "demos" they had in the videos? Two words: RENDERED SCREENS. They had an actor swipe around on a non-functional device and then edited in the screens afterward. It's extremely obvious in the developer video, with the Moto 360, but in case you really don't believe me, they even added fine print saying they did it. Feel free to watch them yourself. I'm sorry if I don't consider that "real".

 

[kevinws]

Say what you want. But I think Motorola has the best vision of what the hardware should look like so far. I think they know that they have to attract people who already wear a watch. That is why they went with the round case and one of the face options has multiple dials. That is why they are so concerned about the feel of the watch.

No they are not going to win the watch snob that wants a mechanical watch that runs at 28,000 bph, that is hand assembled by swiss maiden horologists and lubricated by unicorn blood. Still it is better looking than any other smart watch I have seen real or concept.

I have full confidence in Apple's ability to smash this concept like a bug. I just don't know if they have the heart and drive anymore.

 

[Todd B.]

If you have clearly never used Android.

Sadly it's my phone right now since I had to switch for T-Mobile's crappy service.

It's terrible, it hardly works, and it's ugly. Android is child's play compared to iOS.

Wow, Google and Motorola have just slammed that gauntlet down at Apple... such a smooth OS on that watch.

If it's powered by Google Now, I doubt Apple is worried too much... unless they're trying to capture the market on poorly made apps that tell me the most useless information when I no longer need it while draining the battery as fast as humanly possible.

 

[knewsom]

Another thing. I rather look at something on my wrist if I'm fishing or in a boat. Crap happens and you're just asking for dropping your phone in the water.

Totally. Same applies to all sorts of situations. Cooking, working on a car, working in a metal shop, a crowded area, the list goes on and on. There are plenty of applications for this and I may well buy one if they pull it off.

 

[Ezhik]

Apparently you have no idea how Apple operates. Apple will announce a product when they know they can release it now, not 6 months from now (summer ends on September 21). It's quite possible that Apple could release a smartwatch before Motorola ships theirs

Don't you remember that article about how crashy the first iPhone was when Jobs was announcing it?

 

[paradox00]

Say what you want. But I think Motorola has the best vision of what the hardware should look like so far. I think they know that they have to attract people who already wear a watch. That is why they went with the round case and one of the face options has multiple dials. That is why they are so concerned about the feel of the watch.

No they are not going to win the watch snob that wants a mechanical watch that runs at 28,000 bph, that is hand assembled by swiss maiden horologists and lubricated by unicorn blood. Still it is better looking than any other smart watch I have seen real or concept.

I have full confidence in Apple's ability to smash this concept like a bug. I just don't know if they have the heart and drive anymore.

I agree, they've had the best vision thus far. Who knows how great the actual device will be if/when it is released this summer.

 

[Ezhik]

The amount of backlash in this thread is ridiculous. We all know once Apple releases their iWatch everyone on here will love it and hail it as innovative and amazing. I will be buying one but I respect Google and I think they are quickly getting better and better, and it is a pretty big deal that they are beating Apple to the punch with smart watches and an SDK for developers. The soonest we will see a SDK for something from Apple will be WWDC.

Well you see, this watch, even though it was announced before Apple showed an actual product, is an Apple ripoff. Hell, some people literally said that only Apple can create new markets. So yeah, when iWatch happens, what you said is exactly what will happen.

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What the hell are you on about? Seriously, you make NO sense at all. Everything is vaporware regardless until the actual thing is shown.

If the software is available, people can make their own watches. This is less of a vaporware product than the first iPhone was in January 2007.

 

[paradox00]

Don't you remember that article about how crashy the first iPhone was when Jobs was announcing it?

That's the risk you run when you actually demo a pre-production product instead of displaying simulated screens in a highly edited promo video (like Google has done here). The iPhone wasn't running the final software because they wanted to hold the announcement prior to the FCC documentation leaking it. Traditionally, Apple launches are held closer to the release dates.

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If the software is available, people can make their own watches. This is less of a vaporware product than the first iPhone was in January 2007.

An SDK preview is available, but I don't think people were referring to the software anyway. There hasn't been a live demo of the watch hardware in action yet, or even a recorded video for that matter (all simulated screens). All that said, vaporware is the wrong term to use. The traditional use for the term is to label products that consistently miss their release dates. None of these products have done that yet.

 

[Apple blogger]

Well it's good.. Definitely better than the gear!! You know,I think the UI is ok, it takes full advantage of the screen and all.. But what really concerns me is the swiping gestures and how to move about the phone... U have to swipe up and left to view apps and information.. Which is exactly what Samsung did, google just made it look very intuitive, but I don't think the swiping to see the next info is "easy to use", obviously once u get used to it, it will be ... It should be like the iphone or iPod, u just know how to use it before u use it(not all the features though) ..

I hope apple has something up its sleeve.. And if any engineer from apple is reading this... "please don't use the swiping method, it's not easy to use "

 

[mclld]

I feel sorry for man babies who can't appreciate new tech and instead think they are in some kind of war of us v them..that would be a miserable life being like that

 

[gatearray]

IMO, the most impressive news today isn't Google's OS, but the fact we're now able to make circular LCDs with almost no bezel.

See the Moto 360...

I find it interesting that Google sold Motorola to Lenovo not even 2 months ago. Did the $2.9 billion sale price include the future profitability prospects of this (already designed) smartwatch? And why did Google choose to give it away?

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57618023-93/google-sells-motorola-unit-to-lenovo-for-$2.9b/

 

[mj1108]

Seeing some of the responses here, Google/Motorola has really hit a nerve with the Apple corporate cheerleaders. Put an Apple logo on the Moto watch and the cheerleaders would call it the second coming of Christ.

Just enjoy what we're seeing. Competition benefits the consumers. If what Google/LG/Motorola lights a fire under Apple to make their product better, then everyone wins.

That said, I think that Moto watch looks absolutely gorgeous. I want one.

 

[wikiverse]

Why is this front page news on MacRumors?

I don't like how people criticize articles that don't explicitly say "Apple" in the headline and I get how sometimes other places in tech relate to Apple, but why is this here? Articles about the Pebble, for instance, make sense because they are iOS friendly, but this...has nothing to do with Apple. Sometimes MR makes a connection to Apple in the last paragraph by mentioning rumors about an upcoming product or something, but they didn't even try that here.

Not one place in this article does it mention Apple or even make a connection to the iWatch (a product that doesn't even exist in the first place). But if they're not going to make a connection to Apple then they could at least put in in a general news section, but this is front page news on MacRumors.

This is entirely an Android/Google thing and has nothing to do with Apple.

That aside, though, nice article and nice move, Google.

It's okay if MR staff wants to engage in their general interest in tech: we all do, whether we care to mention it or not. If you're reading this website (particularly if you're reading the comments) you probably have a love for technology, not just technology pertaining to Apple. We all like tech, so don't be afraid to admit it, MR.

If it works with the iPhone, then it is completely relevant as a major development in wearable mobile tech.

MR readers may want to be up-to-date with what is actually available, rather than waiting around for an 'iWatch' that may or may not ever eventuate.

If you look at the total number of comments for this article, compared to the total number for "Mac Pro drops Windows 7 support", clearly it is something MR readers want to see.

 

[Burger Thing]

Can't get excited about these 'smart watches'. The idea to have yet another piece of technology with pretty much redundant functionality to keep you constantly in the internet loop while making use of your collected data for whatever reason, doesn't seem very smart to me.

Whenever this thing will sense a rhythmic vibration you will be bombarded with Ads for Online Dating Services the next time you log onto your computer. Thank you very much

 

[Msail30bay]

It's so you can get the information at a quick glance without pulling out your phone.

They need to make a classy/dress version and one make like a Gshock.

Instead of pulling out your phone while exercising you can look at you wrist and get all your information from there and other functions.

In a meeting instead of picking up your phone or taking it out of your pocket to see who txt'd your or who is calling you can see it via the watch or if you're out someplace instead of sitting your phone on the table and potentially leaving it, you can leave it in your pocket or bag.

I can see application of the watch. Samsung just threw something out there.
This looks to be more thought out

Okay, BUT I SILL don't get it. I'm not that hooked to having to answer/reply to every call, text, iMessages, email, etc etc. Sometimes I don't want to know who is calling me. I may appear mean to some, at times, but I do not feel as if I need to know the - who, what, where and why.

With that said, I'm more interesting IF Apple comes out with a watch that has some great health features, the rest, I can do without.

 

[Jakexb]

Image

Image

'vaporware'

They never once showed it without a simulated screen, there are no details/specs/features, and no price.

 

[vvswarup]

What the hell are you on about? Seriously, you make NO sense at all. Everything is vaporware regardless until the actual thing is shown.

You are using vaporware the wrong way. The term was coined sometime in the 80s to describe a product that a company announces but in actuality has stopped working on it altogether or is a ways away from selling it to customers. A common scenario of using vaporware is when a large company in a market announces a product that is years away from release or worse yet isn't even being worked on in order to hurt sales of smaller competitors.

Apple never announced a giant TV set in the first place. Now by the above definition, the Moto smart watch isn't vaporware either but no one has seen it live. All we've seen is a concept video of people using it.

 

[unagimiyagi]

Apple comes out with old products (5c, ipad 4) on the day that wearables officially arrive.

Let's just say that Apple has dawdled so long that anything they release had better be mind-blowing. The thing is, all these tech companies have parity in hardware now. And software. So mind-blowing is off the table.

Apple 1.0 releases tend to underwhelm and are billed as simple by design. I don't think that Apple's in trouble, they're way past that point now. I don't see their perfection or nothing attitude as a viable strategy anymore. It's just too slow of an innovation cycle, in an industry where innovate or die is the law of the land.

 

[BvizioN]

Not gonna lie. That round watch with that quick access info is pretty cool stuff. If Apple was planning an iWatch of some kind, pretty safe to say their thunder has already been stolen by the competition.

But the competition appears to have created something that offers nothing more then what smartphones do, right?? Why would I want a smartphone on my wrist? This is what should separate Apple (like it has on the past) from other companies. I really think competition have been carried on a wrong direction and Apple stays silent working on something different that would offer something unique and not just a smartphone on the wrist!

 

[SeattleMoose]

SamSung and Google are shameless....I hope this is all a wild goose chase and Apple comes out with something entirely different. How to throw trackers off your scent.....

 

[baryon]

That circular one looks quite impressive, I didn't know that was possible with current technology in such a small packet. Why aren't we seeing more info about that particular device? I don't care about the software, we know it can do anything, but the physical device is what matters the most for a watch.

 

[kevinof]

you can only track someone if they are already in the market. Far as I know Appple's wearables are just vaporware. There is no product, no annoucement, zero. At least Google and others are out there pushing the market

SamSung and Google are shameless....I hope this is all a wild goose chase and Apple comes out with something entirely different. How to throw trackers off your scent.....

 

[scottw324]

Nice product concept, I guess we will see if the execution is a lot better than Samsung's watch. If it performs as well as their advertisement shows, then I think they will sell well enough.

 

[everything-i]

Yes Android looks and behaves just like iOS..... they arn't even based on the same core OS, learn some facts before typing.

Some of the posts in this thread really make me want to smash my face into the keyboard.

Of course its a different core OS, its the UI over the top that originally started as a Blackberry clone and then ended up as an iOS clone. I suggest you take some time, in between your face smashing, to look at the history of early Android, you will see this is exactly what happened.

By the way if this type of discussion makes you want to self harm I suggest you go see a therapist