It's all digital

Watching the future

Several major tech companies are rolling out new “smart” watches.

The next wave of major tech innovation could be an update on a classic piece of wrist wear.

Both Google and Apple are introducing smart watch technology that will offer users context based features (which will likely evolve in later iterations of the devices). Google’s operating system for watches is called Android Wear and it was announced in March 2013. The system has been making sizable tech waves since then and it now appears poised for debut.

Android Wear will link a user directly to Google Now alerts and other Android notification systems. The watch will allegedly provide useful information, before you knew you needed it. For example, PCWorld notes that users might be walking through a historic district when they get a ping on their phone, notifying them that there is a tour actively going on in the area. Users could then accept the invitation to join and be guided to different spots throughout the district.

The watch will also link directly to smartphones, providing the full suite of notifications you would normally receive on that device. Several phone manufacturers (including SamSung, Motorola, and LG) are already planning rollouts for their smart watch, featuring Google’s Android Wear operating system. A few are already publicly available.

Apple’s iWatch (the name is still pending, as is the very existence of the device – which Apple has not confirmed despite persistent rumors) will likely sport many of the same features as Android Wear. However, the device will include the added benefit of doubling as a health monitor (similar to current devices like the Fitbit). The Android Wear may debut with a similar health feature, but Apple appears to be covertly touting its advanced health measuring metrics, even while refusing to confirm the iWatch project.

The question now is: will these devices dominate the zeitgeist the way smartphones and tablets have?

The initial answer is murky. Android Wear, iWatch, and other devices have a myriad of glaring concerns. Detractors have already started questioning the battery life and usefulness of so-called smart watches. They’ve also derided the devices for not being all that “smart.”

Most of the watches (if not all of them) will be dependent on other “smart” devices, like smartphones and tablets. While those devices do seem to be ubiquitous, for those lacking either, a smart watch will almost certainly be a waste of money. The smart watches also seem dependent on linking to smartphones, which calls into question their overall usefulness. If the watch’s primary purpose (when it’s not peppering you with useless info while you meander the streets) is to provide the same notifications you receive on your phone: what’s the point of the watch? Can’t people pull their phone from their pocket, like they’re currently doing?

While the current incarnation of smart watches may prove to be more useless than useful, future versions may find a niche. Imagine working in the greenhouse and being able to take a photo of a sick plant, get an instant diagnosis through your wrist while receiving simultaneous instruction for treatment and isolation; or going to a sprawling plant trial and receiving directions and highlights through your watch. The possibilities for exponential growth are there but will be largely contingent upon the market reception to this initial batch of smart watches.

It’s too early to tell if smart watches will reign supreme, but the tech is an interesting step forward and something to keep an eye on. —Chris Mosby

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