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We’ve only just heard about Samsung’s two new smart watches, and now come some fresh rumours concerning Google’s forthcoming techy timepiece. According to notorious leakster @evleaks, Google has partnered with LG to make its smart watch. Google enlisted LG to make its Nexus 5 and Nexus 4 smart phones, so a partnership could well be on the cards. The tipster also says the smart watch will be revealed at Google I/O, which takes place from 25-26 June.
TechCrunch also has some news on the time teller. Its sources tell it the device is expected to start shipping in mid to late March, though it says many members of the team working on it inside Google believe that date will be pushed back to June. Either that, or the watch will ship with fewer features than originally intended. “As it stands now,” the site notes, “the timeline for the watch’s release is far from being set in stone.”
TechCrunch also notes Google has settled on a plastic wristband for the watch, with a full colour display that looks “like a cheap smart phone”. An early prototype had a metal band like the Pebble Steel, and a square face.
Gesture controls are the order of the day, according to TechCrunch’s report. So you’ll swipe to see alerts, and tap to select.
I’ve contacted LG and Google for comment, and will update this story if I hear back.
The Wall Street Journal previously reported the watch will support Google Now alerts, so will be able to bring you info contextual to where you are, like weather reports, transport info, nearby sights, etc.
Naturally, it’ll run Android, Google’s operating system. Samsung shunned Android for its latest smart watches, the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo. Instead, it plumped for Tizen, the open source rival to Android.
Google bought Android watchmaker WIMM Labs (pictured) back in August, stoking rumours it was readying a timepiece of its own.
Would you like to see Google make a smart watch? What can it do differently to Samsung, Sony et al? Let me know in the comments, or on our Facebook page.
