There are more than half a dozen smartwatches that run Google's wearable software, but it'll take more to make people want to buy them. These should be the next steps.
Scott SteinEditor at Large
I started with CNET reviewing laptops in 2009. Now I explore wearable tech, VR/AR, tablets, gaming and future/emerging trends in our changing world. Other obsessions include magic, immersive theater, puzzles, board games, cooking, improv and the New York Jets. My background includes an MFA in theater which I apply to thinking about immersive experiences of the future.
ExpertiseVR and AR, gaming, metaverse technologies, wearable tech, tabletsCredentials
Nearly 20 years writing about tech, and over a decade reviewing wearable tech, VR, and AR products and apps
It's been almost one year since Android Wear debuted on several mostly forgettable smartwatches. So where are we now? We now have half a dozen or so Android Wear watches, a lot of apps, and few people who seem compelled to actually buy one.
Google's annual developers conference, I/O, is scheduled to kick off on Thursday, May 28, in San Francisco. (CNET will have complete live coverage and analysis.) The official agenda is mostly a mystery, but it's a good bet that Android Wear will be a part of the presentation. I hope so -- Google's wearable OS has promise, but it needs to take things to the next level if it wants to be a contender.
Now that the Apple Watch has arrived -- a pretty mixed-bag device, too -- where does Google go next with its smartwatches? Can Android Wear take two, take everything to the next level? I've used nearly all Android Wear watches so far, and here's my take on what Google needs to do for its wearable strategy going forward.
Go cheaper, not more expensive
I've seen a trend: fancy smartwatches. I don't like it, not when price gets hiked up. The $350 LG Watch Urbane is the newest price threshold; last year, Android Wear watches started at $200. The price-to-be-announced Huawei Watch with its sapphire crystal, and the ridiculous-sounding Tag Heuer smartwatch -- with its $1,400-range price tag -- will take things in even more wallet-pounding directions.
The Apple Watch is way too expensive, too: I wouldn't buy one for more than $399, and that's still high. Google should follow the Android Path: ubiquitous, cheap. I want to see a $99 Android Wear watch.
Samsung explored this with last year's Gear S , but that watch needed its own SIM card for cell service, and had few good apps. I don't need cellular connection on my watch, but I'd like it to access Wi-Fi without a phone needing to be on somewhere.