Quick question: at’s on your wrist? I’m willing to bet you didn’t say “an Android ar watch.” at was supposed to be the year of wearables turned into repeated delays mounting frustrations, as Android ar 2.0 missed its launch date manufacturers bailed on anticipated releases.
To put it bluntly, Android ar is in sad shape. But there is hope for salvation. In February, Android ar 2.0 will finally drop, bringing a host of improvements such as stalone apps, easier typing, on-watch purchasing to a reasonably long list of compatible models. But even with a lengthy list of features, it might not be enough. is expected to punctuate the OS release with a couple of its own watches, but they need to be more than just “good.” They need to be special. Otherwise, Android ar may join Orkut, Reader, ve in the dustbin of failed initiatives. Here’s what needs to do to make sure that doesn’t happen.
o, what, wear
A few days before tmas, decided to do a bit of much-needed damage control. ile the company had already announced that Android ar 2.0 would be delayed until 2017, there was a fair amount of uncertainty surrounding the future of the platform.
put all that to rest by unveiling plans to release a watch of its own. Suddenly for the first time in more than a year there was something solid to look forward to, after ’s hot streak of products in the xel, Home, Fi, a watch seems like the perfect piece to bring it all together.
Huawei was one of the companies that delayed plans for an Android ar tch in 2016.
A watch co-developed by could be the device that finally sets the tone provides a firm direction for Android ar, delivering a device that is built around the OS, not the other way around. Take Apple tch as an example. th watchOS 3, Apple dramatically changed the way the OS works with its hardware. It’s not so much that it added extra features or more functionality, but it made the experience more fluid by rethinking how how you interact with the watch, with a focus on keeping everything quick seamless. And that’s something sorely missing from current Android ar models.
Smart innovation
Android ar is a different animal than Android. ile Android phone makers have always had plenty of rules to follow, for the most part they’re free to put their own stamp on the interface, as such, every Android hset looks acts a little differently. That’s not the case with Android ar. ether you’re using a Moto 360 or a Nixon Mission, you’re getting the same Android ar interface, much like it is with the various models of Apple tch. tch makers can include custom watch faces apps, but they can’t mess with the underlying OS or its design.
Android ar watches may all run the same OS, but no two look alike.
But even with the same software as its peers, can still distinguish its watch greatly from the pack. ile there have been precious few Android ar releases over the past year, none of them have delivered the kind of stout features we thought they would have by this point. Some have built-in G, others have E, they all have disappointing battery life. A watch needs to deliver a complete package of hardware features that allow it to be a true replacement for your phone.
One of the stout features of Apple tch Series 2 is its waterproofing. Not only can you get it wet, you can take it for a swim track your laps, thanks to a clever speaker system that expels any water that gets into the speaker. It’s this kind of ingenuity that’s needed in ’s watch. ke, if it could continually track our movements like it does steps record little bits of exercise throughout the day without you having to remember to start a full workout session, it could be a fitness game-changer.
Keep it simple
No matter if they’re smart or dumb, there are certain expectations we have when we strap on a watch, very few of the Android ar models out there seem to underst what they are. As Samsung quickly learned after its first Galaxy Gear watch, it’s not about cramming as many features as possible. Aside from telling time basic fitness tracking, a successful smartwatch should do two main things: Keep you apprised of what’s happening on your phone help you communicate with the people in your life.
The tch will likely be circular, but it probably won’t have a flat tire like the Moto 360.
And with control over the whole system, is in a unique position to nail both⏤ look good doing it. ere Samsung Apple have done their iterating in public with several hardware releases, has presumably taken the time to learn what people want from a smartwatch, its first entry should instantly be one of the best in the market. It should combine a sleek, classic design with simple features that perfectly blend with the OS.
Navigation has been a particular sore spot with Android ar watches, while Android ar 2.0 improves things a bit with an app launcher built for round faces, it’s still missing a signature element like the Gear S3’s rotating bezel or Apple tch’s Digital Crown. Rumor has it that is building in a crown to aid with navigation, if so, the implementation needs to be clear intuitive, so other manufacturers can follow suit.
Even if it won’t bear the xel name, ’s watch ought to be a xel for the wrist: clean, simple, elegant. It should showcase the best of , while leaving everything else behind in the name of performance ease of use. ’ve already seen the major features of Android ar 2.0, but ’s watch needs to intuitively blend them into the physical components of the watch: Make it easy to use Android y. t us quickly navigate apps. And perhaps most importantly, give Assistant a central role.
Talk to the wrist
already know that Assistant will be a major component of Android ar 2.0, but much like Apple Siri, is looking to make its digital helper synonymous with its own devices. As we’ve seen with the xel phone Home, Assistant is much more than a way to set alarms timers. wants it to become as natural to use as typing into a search field, a watch would be a perfect extension of that strategy: On the watch, like the Home speaker, your voice is the input mechanism.
Sasmung’s S Voice digital assistant on the Gear S3 doesn’t add much to the experience, but Assistant would.
In many ways, a watch is the perfect location for a digital assistant, but no one’s gotten it right yet. Apple relies far to much on a nearby ione for Siri to be of much use, Samsung’s S Voice isn’t quite up to speed. But Assistant could be the first piece of AI to deliver an experience that functions as the centerpiece of the watch.
Assistant’s conversational actions offer a unique opportunity for voice comms, one that goes far beyond the basic ones offered with Now on current Android ar devices: You could check for nearby restaurants make dinner reservations for one of the options, or summon an Uber get notified of its arrival, all without needing to open an app or even touch the screen.
Most of the time you wouldn’t even need to leave the watch face. ile wearable OSes began with a heavy app presence, the focus has begun to shift to making services can be useful in an integrated capacity. If Assistant on the watch can talk to apps deliver information conversationally like it does with xel Home, it could become the first wearable that makes voice input a truly indispensable part of the experience.
xel push
ile might be tamping down expectations for its new watch by announcing it won’t carry the prestigious xel name, there’s no denying what it brings to the table. tches aren’t sold like phones, so carrier deals are incidental here. Still, needs to get it out there. It should be sold at big box stores like Best Buy, as well as at as many carrier stores as possible as a potential accessory for those buying a new Android phone. Online sales alone won’t be good enough to really make the general public aware of it.
And it will need a decent marketing push. Smartwatches aren’t nearly as ubiquitous as phones, so people need to be told why they need one. Apple has done a great job with marketing Apple tch’s niche features to buyers, but it’s been a while since Android ar had any kind of advertising presence. rolled out an impressive campaign alongside its xel phone it would be nice to see something similar with its watch Android ar as a whole. An ad built around the back–forth nature of Assistant instantly comes to mind, showing how someone can quickly plan a forgotten date night on their commute home by clearing out their schedule, making dinner plans, buying show tickets just by talking to their watch.
Android wearables might not have a lot of momentum right now, but that could all change in a few weeks. Android ar doesn’t have to end up in ’s graveyard of failed projects. Releasing its own watch is certainly a step in the right direction, but needs to send the same message with its watch as it did with the xel: This is how it should be done.
