Google is set to launch two new smartwatches which will run the company's latest Android Wear 2.0 OS arriving 9th February.
Google's new smartwatches are being developed by LG, will feature Google Play Store integration and will come with on-screen keyboards.
According to fresh rumours, Google will soon launch two new smartwatches which are being developed by LG and which will run on Google's upcoming Android Wear 2.0 platform. Named Watch Style and Watch Sport, the two smartwatches will feature circular displays and will be priced from $249 onwards.
Huawei Watch 2 DEFINITELY coming to the UK April/May 2017: Sources
New Update: LG Watch Style and Watch Sport to feature USB Type-C ports and rotating crowns
Some fresh leaks on Google's LG-made Watch Style and Watch Sport are now available with us, thanks to Droid Life. The website leaked user manuals of the two upcoming smartwatches which make it clear that the smartwatches will not only feature Google's new Android Wear 2.0 OS, but also USB Type-C charging ports as well as rotating crowns.
On the new smartwatches, you will be able to access Google Assistant either by saying 'Ok Google' or by long pressing the power buttons on their sides. The watches will let you make calls, send texts, perform contactless transactions using NFC and change watch faces whenever you please.
The rotating crown in both watches will let users navigate through apps and notifications and also launch new apps. Using the crown, you will be able to access default apps like Google Fit and Android Pay and also control volume levels during calls. For charging the Watch Sport, you will require a charging cradle but the Watch Style can be charged on a flat-lying charging pad.
We have seen a couple of images of the upcoming smartwatches but Evan Blass, who previously revealed that Android Wear 2.0 will launch 9th February, recently leaked some hi-res images of the LG Watch Style, one of the two upcoming smartwatches. Despite the fact that it will be launched by Google, LG Watch Style has an LG logo on its back and will probably arrive in Silver and Rose Gold colour options.
LG Watch Style, in silver (top) and rose gold (bottom) pic.twitter.com/JlHaq35bZ0
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) January 28, 2017
The Watch Style will also feature a 1.2-inch AMOLED display, 512MB of RAM and a 240 mAh battery and will be the cheaper of the two. The Watch Sport will probably feature a larger display, more storage, more RAM and a larger battery, says 9to5Google. Rumours suggest that Watch Style will be priced at $249 which means that the larger Watch Sport could be a tad pricier compared to its smaller sibling.
The new smartwatches are expected to feature all the bells and whistles that are expected to arrive with Android Wear 2.0. These include a new on-screen keyboard which will let you reply to texts and notifications from chat apps using your voice, saving you the effort of trying to type on your smartwatch. Other enhancements include added permissions for apps requesting personal information and Google Allo-esque smart reply tools.
LG smartwatch could be first with Android Wear 2
These two smartwatches were code-named Swordfish and Angelfish when they got leaked first back in October. At that time, rumours suggested that these two would feature circular displays and LTE connectivity and would launch in the first quarter of 2017. It was also known that there will be three variants, out of which one could be a Wi-Fi only device. As it turns out, there will be only two variants, unless leaksters missed out on the third one.
Google's two smartwatches will be released with Android Wear 2.0 in Q1 2017 [image courtesy of: https://t.co/so8uJyEZCy] pic.twitter.com/ruejqXSNSy
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) October 13, 2016
Our favourite Moto 360 smartwatch might have gotten the chop
Android Wear 2.0 is expected to evolve with increasing smartwatch capabilities unlike the ones that were launched in 2015. Today's smartwatches feature Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity and some even feature in-built SIMs for internet data in places where Wi-Fi isn't available. Hence, Google is bringing in Pay Store integrations to let Android Wear smartwatches run standalone apps rather than depending on companion smartphones.
"With Play Store for Android Wear, users can browse recommended apps in the home view and search for apps using voice, keyboard, handwriting, and recommended queries, so they can find apps more easily. Users can switch between multiple accounts, be part of alpha and beta tests, and update or uninstall apps in the "My apps" view on their watch, so they can manage apps more easily," said Google when the company introduced Android Wear 2.0 for the first time last year.