Android By Russell Holly Jun. 4, 2014 1:00 pm
Thanks to a combination of leaks and a presentation preview from the Android team, Google’s next wearable tech platform has gained a lot more substance.
We know that a big part of Google’s conference every year is dedicated to showing off the next great things happening with the Android platform, and this year that means we’re going to see more of Android Wear. Google hasn’t been shy about the wrist mounted platform so far, and neither have the two companies that Google is planning to launch the platform with.
Both the LG G Watch and the Moto 360 look incredibly promising, but so far all we really know is that the software will be kind of like Google Now for your wrist. As exciting as that sounds, a little more information might be just what we need to dive into a full on frenzy mode for this platform.
What you’re seeing above is the boot animation for Android Wear. It’s got the same four color dots we’re used to seeing on Nexus and Google Play Edition devices, but they come together to do something a lot more interesting than just the repeating in and out we see right now. There’s also a peek at the new Android logo, replacing the one that Google first rolled out with the HTC G1 when Android was first released. This Android logo will likely become the new official branding for all of Android, though we’ll have to wait and see on that one.
This information comes from a system dump of the LG G Watch, which we now know is no slouch when it comes to power. The G Watch will be powered by a Snapdragon 400 processor, which makes it a quad core Android device running version 4.4.
There’s not a complete feature breakdown, but inside the teardown we see Google+ assets, a special Zen mode that kills notification, an alarm clock mode for when the watch is sitting on your bedside table charging, and a remote shutter function for taking photos through your phone with your watch. Obviously the big features will be the Google Now tie-ins on your wrist and whatever third party apps are announced at launch.
Fortunately, the Android team has graced us with a little look at what some of those might look like.
Android Wear is going to come in a round and square design, which we’ve known for a while. What we didn’t know was how much information was going to be available on the screen and whether or not the shape of the display matters when it comes to displaying that content. We now know that there will be a difference, though it will be subtle enough that most wouldn’t even notice it. The Moto 360 will technically display less information in the data portion of the display, which will usually mean that the content just appears slightly smaller when compared to the G Watch.
The benefit here for those interested in visuals is that there’s more space on the watch to show off some of the backgrounds and images on the 360, so apps will probably look a little nicer. There’s not going to be any functional difference, but if you’re the type to care about visual flourish it seems like the 360 will have a slight edge on the G Watch. Either way, they should both look stunning if these previews are any indicator at all.
We’ll get the full breakdown at Google IO, but so far there’s very little not to like about Android Wear. It’s going to look beautiful, the hardware is going to be plenty powerful, and Google has already started working with developers on making sure there’s no shortage of apps for the platform.
After the official unveil at Google IO, we’ll know things like official pricing for the hardware and plenty of other details. This is starting to look like the best smartwatch platform out there right now, and really gives you pause to wonder what is going to happen to Google Glass with such an impressive wearable platform emerging from the same company.
More...
We know that a big part of Google’s conference every year is dedicated to showing off the next great things happening with the Android platform, and this year that means we’re going to see more of Android Wear. Google hasn’t been shy about the wrist mounted platform so far, and neither have the two companies that Google is planning to launch the platform with.
Both the LG G Watch and the Moto 360 look incredibly promising, but so far all we really know is that the software will be kind of like Google Now for your wrist. As exciting as that sounds, a little more information might be just what we need to dive into a full on frenzy mode for this platform.
What you’re seeing above is the boot animation for Android Wear. It’s got the same four color dots we’re used to seeing on Nexus and Google Play Edition devices, but they come together to do something a lot more interesting than just the repeating in and out we see right now. There’s also a peek at the new Android logo, replacing the one that Google first rolled out with the HTC G1 when Android was first released. This Android logo will likely become the new official branding for all of Android, though we’ll have to wait and see on that one.
This information comes from a system dump of the LG G Watch, which we now know is no slouch when it comes to power. The G Watch will be powered by a Snapdragon 400 processor, which makes it a quad core Android device running version 4.4.
There’s not a complete feature breakdown, but inside the teardown we see Google+ assets, a special Zen mode that kills notification, an alarm clock mode for when the watch is sitting on your bedside table charging, and a remote shutter function for taking photos through your phone with your watch. Obviously the big features will be the Google Now tie-ins on your wrist and whatever third party apps are announced at launch.
Fortunately, the Android team has graced us with a little look at what some of those might look like.
Android Wear is going to come in a round and square design, which we’ve known for a while. What we didn’t know was how much information was going to be available on the screen and whether or not the shape of the display matters when it comes to displaying that content. We now know that there will be a difference, though it will be subtle enough that most wouldn’t even notice it. The Moto 360 will technically display less information in the data portion of the display, which will usually mean that the content just appears slightly smaller when compared to the G Watch.
The benefit here for those interested in visuals is that there’s more space on the watch to show off some of the backgrounds and images on the 360, so apps will probably look a little nicer. There’s not going to be any functional difference, but if you’re the type to care about visual flourish it seems like the 360 will have a slight edge on the G Watch. Either way, they should both look stunning if these previews are any indicator at all.
We’ll get the full breakdown at Google IO, but so far there’s very little not to like about Android Wear. It’s going to look beautiful, the hardware is going to be plenty powerful, and Google has already started working with developers on making sure there’s no shortage of apps for the platform.
After the official unveil at Google IO, we’ll know things like official pricing for the hardware and plenty of other details. This is starting to look like the best smartwatch platform out there right now, and really gives you pause to wonder what is going to happen to Google Glass with such an impressive wearable platform emerging from the same company.
More...
