Google Unleashes Android Wear, Brings Excitement to Smartphone Game

Updated: March 19, 2014

2014. Everyone is calling it “the year of wearables.” But with Google and Apple being quiet about their plans for wearables, it hasn’t felt like “the year of wearables.” Until now.

Google has announced Android Wear, basically a smaller version of its Android OS, with a plan in mind accommodate to wearable app developers. Smartwatches are what immediately come to mind, but they’re just the beginning, says Google.

Going to the Android Wear page on Google’s website greets you with the tagline: “Information that moves with you.” This references to Google Now, Google’s highly successful service that gives appropriate information at the appropriate time. These “cards” that you would normally see on your Android or iOS device will be elegantly expanded to your wrist with Wear.

One of the handiest features of Google Now, particularly shining on the Moto X, has been the always-listening experience. Anytime you need your watch to assist you during your daily life activities, just say “OK Google,” and the world of Google is at your fingertips.

I know, I know, voice search isn’t exactly mind-boggling anymore in 2014, but Wear is so much more than that. As previous speculation has pointed to, Wear gives you contextual updates, just like Now. For example, if Google’s Location Services detect that you have a flight leaving in 5 minutes, it will alert you to hurry up while you’re at the terminal.

Wear also pulls in notifications from favorite Google services, such as Hangouts, and allows you to respond to these messages swiftly and by using your voice. But the real potential lies in the hands of application developers. Google says “favorite fitness apps” will offer relevant information, such as your speed and distance covered during your workout.

I cannot wait to see the specific watches from their respective companies. Put quite simply, Google’s vision is absolutely gorgeous. Moto’s 360 looks promising and I love the circle watch face and spectacular design it brings to the table. LG’s G watch also looks very sleek with its understated, but mysterious, jet-black design.

Personally, I have held off buying any sort of smartwatch thus far. However, Android Wear certainly looks promising. Apple is bound to announce their long-awaited iWatch any day now. Pebble has got a lot of completion now, and their CEO is “excited” (I love completion). The development and innovation we are going to see in the next couple years in the smartwatch application field will be awe-inspiring, hands-down. Keep your eyes peeled, because 2014 just might be the year.

Manfred

SDD? :DD
Kieran Fenske

500 GB HDD
Darren Croft

SSD drive! lol i need to get in the gym too……
Alex Miron

I’m really excited to see how this android-wear thingy will turn out!
Colton Wike

Oh no. Apple better get their game on. Dat hdd durability doe
William Löwenmark

I don’t think apple should be too worried. Their fans are pretty hooked.

Also, that ssd seems awesome.
Colton Wike

True that. I have 2 iPads, 2 iPods, and iPhone, and I’m thinking bout getting a mac.
Don’t worry I’m still windows fan hands down and will be building my own soon.
Im not thinking about switching to android either.

LOVE THE SSD
kaw

gimme the 500gb adata hd plz? xD
Thuan Duong

The External Drive please
citroman2010

hi there
Joshua Teal

Would love that drive and great story on the google watches
Worldshatter

I hope that wearable tech become much more practical for future applications.
Ivan Toda

hiiii
Philip

hello people
Charles

I tell you : you’ll become addicted to working out :p
darth123197

That hard drive would be amazing, and if the wearable tech is a good price it could be useful.
hedfun2

I hope Google watches come at an affordable price. And would love the external HDD!
Creaziest Outcast

500GB external would be awesome, great help for my nre build ( 1st one too ! )
Steven Kato

I need a 500gb hdd for my phone and an Android watch to go with it.
Darren

I’m gonna wait till the iWatch to come out before I get into the wearables. Oh and I could use that 500GB hard drive for Time Machine back ups.
iTony11

Going for that AData Drive!
In-Sang Hwang

drive pls
dozevevo

Would be awesome to win the Adata drive, could really use it.
Joël Smits

Only have 500GB on my gaming desktop so another 500GB for other stuff than games would definitely be nice c:
Osman Kamerić

NeedForData
Dimitris

can not wait to see this watch!!!
elliot rowland

Amazing stuff this is
Mike

I would absolutely LOVE to win the Ext. HDD! I could really use it for my gaming PC. I’m running low on space. I hope I win!

#IWantTheHDD
Darragh

I’m in the same boat as Mike, running low on hdd space. Good luck to all!
Johann

Nice Stuff. Throw the Drive at me, Elric!
Sisrace

Take dem muscles you got from the gym and throw the drive over the atlantics over to sweden! Becouse yes! You are that awesome!
Raymond Tyson

My BROTHER could DEFINITELY use this 500GB external hdd for system image backups. Bless his heart, he thinks System Restore is good enough and the same. lol. Thanks for providing great content Elric, m/
Zacharygoo2

That Drive Though
Benjamin Woolley

If you could airstrike that drive to me in the UK I’d be happy to catch it my end.
Pierangelo Munoz

Maybe if its cheap people will buy it
Mitchell Germick

External Storage
Fab

HDD por favor!
Jan Šinkovec

great article, thanks for the chance on the hdd entry
Sorcey Meteor

I’d love that HDD for my Videos I make. I’m always away so it would be appreciated
http://people.ign.com/itsthevoltage itsthevoltage

Would love that external HDD. i am running out of space! hahaah
Simon

Hey please, i really really want that adata hdd!
david carollo

Could really use that external tho…
Dokuro

want but probably going to be 2expensive4me
Rusty523

I’d rather stick to a good old regular watch, besides I can always pull out my smartphone if I need it. Dat HDD tho.
Loukman Istanbouli

D: me external want T_T
lgfrbcsgo

The Moto 360 looks the best of all smart watches in my opinion. But I actually don’t care much about these wearables, since I don’t own a smart phone. But let’s see, if my awesome nickname can own me a HDD. (Yes, I smashed my head onto my keyboard.)
nick

im here for the drive
http://www.youtube.com/phillclementphoto Phill Clement

Hope I win!
ColorMeWTF

Free stuff.
Luís Tiago F.

that hdd
Ty Goldenhart

I would like an HDD.
Fluffinster

HDD for me
thomas van dam

Would love to get that drive shipped over here ^^
Bogdan Terziysky

hdd ftw
tatasGr

External 500GB durable exactly what i need. Good luck everyone.
Victor Libre

gimme the ADATA drive!!!
vEncrypted

Looks sick, hopefully i can get my hands on one when it is avalibale
azian86

please..hard drive..ilove you long time
Wobs James

Winning would be pretty freakin neato
Jolar

Nice article!
Raysun Wong

I like the hdd
Mark Andruk

Man, the 360 looks sweet, If I were to get it though I’d have to wear 2 watches like a dork, b/c my current watch is waterproof and has compass, ect. and I need it for doing outdoor stuff cause I can trust it to work rain or shine, wet and cold.
Dvs_Elmo

Awesome Article ADATA FTW
Nirmal Aryal

It s just awesome . When apple is gonna make one?
LPG100

Greetings. Hard drives are fancy.
http://www.Facebook.com/MISTERAMD MISTERAMD

Apple makes this? Than I hope they combine it with their new iphone, just as other companies are doing in the future (Samsung, HTC, …)
Dato abazadze

I want the ADATA HDD
rawlston clarke

i like the new look of wearable tech but i think it’d still be limited. I cant wait till it becomes mass effect like tho and i know its coming and yes id like to have the hdd
Sam Yuk Tsi

I hope this is comfortable unlike google plus
Kin kheong

hmm google does come up with cool product … i myself do like to own a wearable gadget. and Yay ADATA giveaway .. pick me.
Syamil Shahimi

Dude
Jacky Liu

Kool, definitely looking forward to this.
Remi-San Scarlet

Good luck to everyone who wants to get the Hard Disk
BRODY MULLIKIN

I hope the price is low cause I want it as well with the hard disk
Dieter Chan

My sis could use the Google Wear… she keeps her damn phone in a pouch and can’t even hear it ringing… :/
Harindu Hippola

Hoping for that HDD :3
http://Peopleofgaming.com Jiimy Dogbilly

I want the HDD
http://www.facebook.com/plopabc Jake Toth

The moto 360 is the only smartwatch i’d actually consider buying… it looks so good !
Julian svallin

That HDD looks perfect for me while traveling
Grant

Awesome.
Víctor de la Fuente

Google Wear looks great, it seems that will go around very well with my Nexus 5 BTW, I want that HDD, mine is about to give being carried around and the Adata would be a nice substitute.
Salah Kayali

I would love the hard drive :p
AL

yey! new cool HDD
Utkersh Reuben Khanna

wanna win this HDD
Ian

Me for the HDD need more storage and its USB 3.0
omar zuriqi

i want that hard drive i really need it
Roy

Like to win the HDD from ASATA
Zarif Ahmed

I need the portable hard disk(P.H.D.) because I have a 120 GB HDD and it is full! Soooo, I need the P.H.D.
Jonathan Alcantara

I would love to have the drive please!
aleen

i want that drive so bad!!
Amir Said

adata hard drive all day
Adrian Vasilev

i want that hard drive
crazysymbols

Colour me interested!
Sen. Rockie

Give me that ADATA External HDD!
Oscar

Hmm I guess it won’t hurt to leave a comment for a chance to win..
Willie Skulls

This hard drive is something of a blessing cause I drop a lot of my tech and I always have to go buy another one so thumbs up
Ricardo Ulerio

I wan the Adata Drive !
matt C.

I have been wanting a external hard drive
Daquan Javier Rodriguez

I NEED IT!
David Varone

I need a new external Hard Drive :c
Tony

Thank you for doing giveaways ELRIC!
Jaime

ADATA drive I want to win it
Alasdair Mitchell

ADATA please
shay

when iphone 6 came out iwatch will come to
i really want the ADATA
https://twitter.com/mattmjm1 Matthew Muysson

I hope for apple’s sake that their iphone 6 event has a lot more than just the phone, and hopefully more than their smartwatch too!
I wonder if they will have a ruggedized iphone as well… anyways, the ADATA drive would be awesome!
Dimitris Papadamantiou

Really interesting idea with a lot of alternative ways to go. Not only like a watch. I want to see more crazy ideas with this.
By the way nice giveaway with the ADATA really useful with my living style
Andis Lejietis

I hope thies watches won’t be to hard to get, so I could think about switching to android. Ofcourse ADATA drive also would be grate.
Hâmdï Drîrâ

Apple should be Scared because when Google builds something they build it the right way . And it Will Be Great To win an External Hard Drive
Timofte Alexandru

It’s about to going pretty bad for Apple , Google is a monster and i want to see more of them projects and wears . Oh , i just remembered , i think it will sweet to win that external drive from ADATA 500GB :3 , just saying .
ProLeopard

Yeah I think apple’s being told to sit down. I’m definitely getting a Moto 360 once I get a nexus 5… And the adata drive could be helpful as I have a 5400rpm drive that’s full and extremely slow… Tech of tomorrow is great though
wayde D’Aguiar

i can’t wait to see what they come up with next!!!
craig murray

nice too bad i wont be able to afford it
Muhammad Najmi Mohd Amir

Quite nice , I hope it was affordable
Bruno

looks really nice, what’s next?
Tom Blade

Cool Very Cool !
Andy Zestrea

thats very good )
Nexus_Guy

Yeah, this will put Apple in a tight spot. However, I have always admired Google for taking any chance they have with any product whereas apple only does something that they know the world wants. I can see this being very successful. Also from the hard drive YouTube vid! I really would want one as I only own an 8gb USB as my only external storage!
Celmor

It’s all about the style when it comes to watches
Chase

This is going to be sweet! I dont think ill pick one up, but I will want to pick up that sweet ADATA 500gb HDD!
stefan brony

nice hdd (give me)
Wilson Hu

I wanna win that HHD c: <3 ADATA
Jekay249

There’s so much room to grow with that wearable tech thing
mason vanmeurs

I want to win that hard drive!
Mateus

I love google
Tyler Stryker

I might switch to android just for this.
Chris Ortiz

want to win that hard drive!
Dima

Hi
Nomaan S

Nice info everywhere on your website, YouTube channel. Big fan of you
Josh Kelly

I’d love to have that adata drive
luigil1000

I think its a nice idea i would buy it ^^
midder

GIMME ADATE DRIVE NAO
Jerry Adjoyi

Dang googles dominating every thing, gigabyte internet download speeds. Now wearable technology. Can’t wait to start working for them.
Shane Pikelin

I think android wear looks awesome, cant wait
Fred Luetkemeier

Me want HDD
Swagg_killah

I would love the adata drive and thanks for the giveaway!