Google is reportedly in talks with Asian suppliers to begin mass production of its first smartwatch, which will give the web giant a head start in wearable tech race against its rivals Apple and Microsoft, who are rumored to be developing smartwatches of their own.
Google became the first tech company to develop an internet connected eyewear, the Google Glass, and is now making a move to gain dominance in smartwatch making. The web giant is reportedly in talks with Asian suppliers to mass produce its first smartwatch, which will be more usable with higher battery life.
Google may be a little late in the smartwatch race, considering it was the first to introduce the world to its highly sophisticated Glass. Several companies, including Sony, Pebble and Google's biggest partner Samsung, introduced smartwatches early into the market. But the web giant may have a head start as tech giants and rivals, Apple and Microsoft, have long been rumored to be working on wearable gadgets.
The news comes to light after sources familiar with the matter told Wall Street Journal about Google proceeding with its own smartwatch. The technical details of the watch are still scanty but the sources revealed enough information to sketch the watch's capabilities. Google seems to have learnt one lesson well from its rivals;that the most important thing in a wearable gadget is its battery life. The Samsung Gear smartwatch suffered from this issue, which resulted in a high return rate of this watch at several Best Buy locations.
In order to tackle the issue, Google is working to reduce battery consumption so the watch does not fall short of battery frequently, WSJ reports.
Google will include the basic smartwatch functionalities such as communicating with a smartphone, reading and responding to messages, scheduling appointments and placing phone calls. The watch will be built around Google Now, a Siri-like application that acts as a personal assistant giving the required information to users based on their needs.
Wearable tech gadgets are going to hold a prominent place in the future. According to ABI Research, more than 485 million smartwatches, smartgoggles and similar products will be sold by 2018. So getting into the business at this time around is a safe bet, especially for renowned brands like Google and Apple as people choose products based on the brands' fame.
