After months of rumors, Google has confirmed that it will launch new smartwatches next year. The tech giant is set to release two flagships Android Wear 2.0 watches by a still unknown manufacturer in the first quarter of 2017.
Google's product manager for Android Wear Jeff Chang gave the confirmation to The Verge in an interview. The 2017 launch is part of Google's efforts to convince the public that wearables like smartwatches are still trendy.
The smartwatches will get its name from the manufacturing company and not be branded Google of Pixel - an arrangement that's similar to what Google had for its Nexus smartphone. Chang told The Verge that the partnership with the manufacturer was of the new watches' hardware design and software, but did not disclose the company's name.
Along with the launch of Google's flagship watches, other partner brands will also release smartwatches running on Android Wear 2.0 in 2016. According to Venture Beat, a Google official said among these brands are Casio's Smart Outdoor Watch, Asus' ZenWatch 2 and 3, Moto 360 Sport by Lenovo, Huawei Watch, LG's Watch Urbane and Tag Heuer's Connected.
With Android Wear 2.0, Google's flagship smartwatches will have the voice-activated Google Assistant, which communicates with Google to perform different tasks. The new smartwatches will also have Android Pay for financial transactions, as well as apps that do not require a smartphone to work.
It's not just new smartwatches that will have Android Watch 2.0 and the features that come with it. Following the release of Google's flagship smartwatches, existing devices that run on Android Wear will be updated to Android Wear 2.0, The Verge reports.
Google's plan to release two new Android Wear 2.0 watches comes amid concerns over the profitability and future of smartwatches. Sales of the Apple Watch, for instance, declined 71 percent from last year. Will Google's new devices be able to breathe new life into the industry?
