In recent months the rumors have been picking up that both Google and Apple are working on smart watches. A new report from the Financial Times indicates that Google is indeed working on one, and it has its Android unit developing it.
To be clear, this is still in going to have to be filed in the rumors department, and the report is careful to make note of that, but it does say:
While Glass is being created in its X Lab, home to experimental “moonshot” projects such as the self-driving car, Google’s smart watch is being developed by its Android unit, according to a person briefed on the project, to act as an extension to the smartphones using that operating system. The project is separate from Samsung’s efforts, the source said, although there is no indication of when it might launch.
Google has been going to great lengths to build buzz for its “moonshot” Glass concept, but if the Android team is working on a smart watch, such a device getting into consumers’ hands (or on their wrists, rather) in the near future seems like a real possibility – particularly with Apple (allegedly) and Samsung getting into the space. It looks like Sundar Pichai has quite a bit on his plate.
Two months ago, reports came out that Google was “actively exploring the idea of making its own smart watch,” and “looking at ways it might be able to market” it.
Google secured a patent for such a device last fall.
A smart watch would be one more device Google could sell in a retail store should it ever decide to open a chain.