LG and Motorola have introduced their upcoming smartwatches, the G Watch and the Moto 360, respectively, which will run Google's newly-unveiled Android Wear platform.
The two smartwatches are set to hit the market later this year and will be compatible with a range of Android smartphones. The LG G Watch and the Moto 360 will be the first two gadgets to run the new Android Wear OS.
Google announced on Tuesday, March 19, that it plans to develop watches and other wearable devices based on its Android OS. The Android Wear platform, as expected, is open to software developers so they can create apps for the watches.
LG G Watch
LG's upcoming smartwatch will be compatible with a wide range of Android smartphones and it will mark yet another notable collaboration with Google. The two companies have worked together before for the widely popular Nexus 4 and Nexus 5 smartphones, as well as the LG G Pad 8.3 Google Play Edition. The latter is the first tablet to join the GPE lineup.
"The opportunity to work with Google on LG G Watch was the perfect chance for LG to really pull out all stops in both design and engineering," said Dr. Jong-seok Park, president and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. "We're confident that a well-designed device has the potential to take the smart wearable market by storm."
"With wearables, we've only just begun to scratch the surface of what's possible," added Sundar Pichai, Senior Vice President of Android, Chrome & Apps at Google. "The potential in this space is exciting which is why we're thrilled to work together with partners like LG to bring Android Wear devices to market."
LG G Watch users will be able to issue commands to the device simply by saying "OK Google" followed by their requests, just like Google detailed in its Android Wear introduction video. The smartwatch will also give users relevant information on the go.
Motorola Moto 360
Motorola's upcoming smartwatch, meanwhile, puts more emphasis on design. The Moto 360 boasts a circular form factor, borrowing design cues from regular wristwatches and combining them with a vintage look. Motorola will use premium materials for its smartwatch in order to make it feel comfortable for the wearer.
Just like the LG G Watch, the Moto 360 will also work with voice commands, and its screen will display contextual information when it has relevant notifications to deliver.
"Moto 360 keeps you on time and up to date without taking you out of the moment or distracting you, telling you what you need to know before you know you need it through subtle alerts and notifications. With just a twist of the wrist you can see who's emailing or calling, what time your next meeting is or a friend's latest social post," Motorola explains in its announcement.
Launch & Availability
The LG G Watch will make its debut sometime in the second quarter of this year, while Motorola's Moto 360 will arrive sometime this summer. The two companies have yet to offer exact launch dates or pricing details for their respective devices, but more details should become available soon. In the meantime, check out the videos below to learn more about Google's new Android Wear project.
