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Android Wear Hopefuls Call Timeout On Smartwatches (cnet.com)
Things are not looking good for Google's Android Wear. Three of the top Android Wear smartwatches maker have confirmed that they won't be releasing a smartwatch in the waning months of the year. From a CNET report:While LG launched a watch in the first half, it'll have been more than a year since Huawei and Motorola offered an update on their wearables. That marks a reversal from last year, when all three companies launched Android Wear smartwatches at the early September IFA trade show in Berlin in what was supposed to be a resurgence of the platform. At this year's show, Chinese maker Asus was the only major tech company to return with a new Android Wear watch. The poor showing underscores the general lack of enthusiasm for smartwatches, which the industry has touted as the next hot trend in tech. Consumers, however, continue to question the usefulness of these gadgets. Even Apple, which leads the market for smartwatches, saw its shipments fall 55 percent from a year ago in the second quarter, according to IDC. "Smartwatches still have yet to make a significant impression on consumers as a must-have device," said Ramon Llamas, an analyst at IDC. Time stands still for some in the smartwatch market.
Meanwhile, Pebble looks to be doing just fine with their smartwatches. However, they use color e-ink (better battery life), are much cheaper, and don't need a new line of service activated. They connect to the internet via Bluetooth on your phone. Perhaps the other manufacturers should strip their watches down and focus on what consumers would want: a durable watch, with battery life past a day or two, and doesn't cost extra with phone service.