Google will announce two new Android Wear smartwatches in the first quarter of 2017. After Google's OEM partners Motorola, Huawei and LG announced plans to not announce new smartwatches at the end of this year, it is now clear that search giant has not given up on wearables yet.
In an interview with the The Verge, Android Wear Product Manager Jeff Chang has confirmed that the company will launch two OEM-branded flagship smartwatches based on Android Wear 2.0. Interestingly these new smartwatches won't come with Google or Pixel branding which makes it evident that these will be mere Nexus-style devices. Google is only collaborating on design and software integration like Nexus-range of smartphones in the past.
Google's Jeff Chang says following the launch of the new devices, all existing Android Wear smartwatches will be updated to Android Wear 2.0. Considering that Android Wear doesn't have as much as fragmentation Android smartphones, the update should reach all devices.
Android Wear 2.0 brings host of new features including support for standalone apps and native Android Pat support. There is also Google Assistant baked into the ecosystem, which emphasises that you will speak more to your watch than type or touch. Android Pay will only be supported by select set of existing smartwatches due to lack of NFC chip and Cheng says NFC won't be a requirement for Android Wear partners in the future.
Google says post launch of these flagship smartwatches, there will be new devices from Android Wear partners. Google says expect to see new smartwatches based on Android Wear 2.0 at CES as well as Baselworld trade show. Its important to note that Baselworld has been the platform for traditional watchmakers and with Tag Heuer and Fossil Group having joined Google as partners, we can expect more watchmakers to join the ecosystem.
Smartwatch shipments have declined significantly in the last two quarters and recently Gartner noted that wearable industry is suffering from high abandonment rate. Can Google reinvoke in a failing industry segment, we will have to wait and see for the result.