With everyone else entering the smartwatch game, it stands to reason Google would. With Samsung’s severely limited Gear, and Apple dragging their feet on the smartwatch they’re said to have in development, the time is right for a Google smartwatch. According to a new report, we may be getting one soon.
Sources close to 9to5Google say that Google is putting the finishing touches on their smartwatch, which we’ve previously heard is codenamed Gem. The watch will reportedly run a version of Google Now, meant for a smaller display, and tether to your smartphone via bluetooth.
If this is true, Google has stumbled upon a true genius piece of kit. With other smartwatches, we’re left with their limited notification abilities and clumsy interface. With Google Now and a Google smartwatch, it’s taken the concept of a notification center on your wrist to a new level.
Google Now is little more than a skinned version of Google Search, which adds a layer of contextual reasoning to it. Google Now utilizes Search, but presents in a clean way that makes sense to your daily life. Add to that the ability to mildly converse with Now, as well as set reminders and ask directions via voice commands, and a Google smartwatch running Google Now makes a lot of sense.
A Google smartwatch running Google Now would be entirely light, both in form and function. With little more than a screen and Bluetooth connectivity, your watch could become a notification center like no other. Phone in the pocket or purse, and a watch telling you what you need to know. As Google Now grows, the watch becomes more desirable, and almost never loses any functionality or support.
Additionally, Google Now is still not open to developers, so it almost makes this a very proprietary piece of Google hardware. By virtue of Google Now being a bit locked down, and a watch tying you into the service, you’re further immersed in the Google ecosystem. We’re not so sure that’s a bad thing, either.
