The Wall Street Journal first reported Google is developing an Android-powered smartwatch (and console) back in July, and today the newspaper claimed the watch is in “late-stage development” and could be ready for mass production “within months.”
Citing sources, the WSJ says the smartwatch will be integrated with Google Now, and communicate and get information from smartphones and other devices through the Google Now service. The report doesn’t specify whether the device would reliant on being paired with a phone or tablet — as is the case for Samsung’s Galaxy Gear — or whether it will have functionality of its own.
Google is reportedly investing considerable time and resources to overcome battery issues and give its smartwatch as much time between charges as possible, in response to issues that have plagued other companies’ smartwatches to date.
The prospect of Google Now in a smartwatch is one that will excite Google fans, but, like all gadget concepts, it remains to be seen how it manifests in real life — assuming that the WSJ’s insiders are on the money with their leaks.
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The smartwatch space is an increasingly crowded one that already includes Samsung, Sony and US startup Pebble, among others. HTC recently dropped a hint that it may introduce a watch too.
We reached out to Google, but the company declined to comment on the contents of the WSJ report.
Related: 16 smartwatches you should know about (and 5 that missed their crowdfunding goals)
Image via Danny Sullivan / Flickr
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