Two Google Android Wear 2.0 Smartwatches Coming In 2017

Google does it again! This time it is with the smartwatches. Google is planning to launch its first Android Wear 2.0 devices in Q1 2017, reported the Verge, making it clear that Google is making a push to convince consumers that wearables are still relevant, and specifically smartwatches. The new devices will not have the Google or Pixel branding; instead, they will sport the manufacturer's branding.

According to Jeff Chang, the product manager for Android Wear, the new devices are being manufactured by Google in collaboration with a third-party manufacturer, similar to Google's partnership with HTC for the original Nexus smartphone. The new devices will include standalone apps that don't require a phone. It will also include support for both Android Pay and Google Assistant, the Amazon Alexa competitor that launched this month on the Google Home.

According to Android Police, there will be two Android Wear 2.0 smartwatches, named 'Angelfish' and 'Swordfish'. The first one is expected to be larger and sportier than the other. It is said to have more features, such as LTE connectivity, GPS, and a heart rate monitor. It will resemble the Moto 360 and LG's Urbane 2nd Edition LTE. The latter one will act more as a fitness tracker. It is said to be closer to the Pebble Time Round, at least in its basic shape. It will have a single button that is similar to the crown on the Apple Watch.

Goggle again follows the same pattern as its smartphone story; earlier, it had said that it wouldn't sell its own in-house smartphones, and then it took a U-turn to introduce the Pixel. Google seems bullish on the market, but it will be interesting to see how these new devices do in the market, in face of stiff competition from Samsung, Apple, and Fitbit.