is just getting started when it comes to selling its own hardware. Another rumor from the usually accurate Blass points to a pair of -built watches that will come early next year.
’s two smartwatches will be released with Android ar 2.0 in Q1 2017 [image courtesy of: https://t.co/so8uEZCy] pic.twitter.com/ruejqXSNSy
— Blass (@evleaks) October 13, 2016
’ve heard this before, but we have a lot more context now after attending the ”Made by ” hardware event, where the company showed off the xel, DayDream View headset, Chromecast Ultra, Fi, Home.
Something new to wear
The tenor of the gathering the new shift by told us this wasn’t a one-off event. has installed Osterloh, the former head of Motorola’s mobile division, as the new senior vice president of hardware. There’s a dedicated Made by site that shows off all the gear, further solidifying that hardware will be a major part of ’s strategy going forward. Nearly every speaker at the event talked about how services the company’s desire to build a “personal ” for every user require a deep integration between hardware software.
dropped a ton of hardware at its Oct. 4 event.
Given all of this, a watch makes perfect sense, particularly if it’s high-end offers that deep software integration we heard so much about.
Android ar has a lot of catching up to do with the Apple tch. For to really compete, it ought to build a watch that targets the same type of features that Apple is banking on to drive customers to the Series 2 watch: a much brighter screen, G tracking, waterproofing. Those, combined with a lot of software innovation related to fitness tracking, make the Apple tch an ideal companion for the health-conscious.
Other watchmakers have hit the pause button this year, likely given the delay in Android ar 2.0. It looks like a reboot of sorts is wisely on the way.
A new tablet?
There were rumors earlier this year that a Huawei-built tablet was coming. But it was nowhere to be found at the “Made by ” event. And the rumor mill has gone dark. It’s all rather odd. desperately needs a new, y tablet that isn’t quite as thick or heavy as the xel C.
There aren’t a ton of compelling Android tablets out there. us, a new xel tablet would give the chance to get the new Assistant out into more hs further drive people into its new hardware ecosystem. It’s certainly one of the rumors that we’ll want to watch as 2016 wraps up we turn towards the new year.
