Look Out, Galaxy Gear: Google Smartwatch Could Be Coming Soon

If you’re familiar at all with the term “smartwatch,” you probably have some kind of vision for what such a device should do. Some believe a smartwatch should basically be a smartphone on your wrist, allowing you to make calls, use apps and do all of the things you normally do on a phone, albeit with a much smaller display. Then there are others who think a smartwatch should be a smartphone companion or offer a stripped down smartphone experience, perhaps just sending along notifications and letting you use voice controls to accomplish a few tasks.

I lean more toward the “companion” side, which is the direction most smartwatches have gone at this point. And Google seems ready to add another, if a report from the Wall Street Journal is correct. According to that outlet, Google is not only planning to introduce a smartwatch to the world, it’s actually in late-stage development and could begin mass producing the device very soon.

Google’s rumored smartwatch would, not surprisingly, run Android, and its predictive Google Now technology would play a big part. Imagine being able to ask Google a question using a voice query, or having pertinent information automatically served up to you. Both of these features are already available on Android-powered smartphones, but they seem almost perfect for a device that is readily accessible on your wrist.

Another point of emphasis for the Google smartwatch has reportedly been battery life. The Pebble, while not all that powerful, really set the bar high for how long a smartwatch battery should last. Samsung went in the opposite direction, creating a powerful watch that had terrible battery life with its Galaxy Gear. Google is hoping to strike a balance between the two and has been working to reduce power consumption so that its watch doesn’t need to be charged as often.

It’s not surprising that Google is interested in the smartwatch space. Though the company seems to believe that its Google Glass device is the type of wearable we’ll all be using in the future, there’s still the present to account for. Competitors have already released or are readying smartwatches and there are consumers who are ready to line up and buy them. Entering the smartwatch battle ensures that Android doesn’t fall behind in a market that seems poised to explode.

We’ll update as soon as we hear more on the rumored Google smartwatch.