A It faces a complex and difficult future. With brands like Lenovo and the Moto 360 deciding not to launch smartwatches until further notice, the operating system landscape remains unclear. google smart watches. Now the company has acquired Chronologics with the aim of promoting AWill it be enough? Besides injecting talent, this movement seeks accelerate the development of Wear OS and reinforce its commitment to its own hardware ecosystem.
Cronologics, created from Google
The most curious thing about a company like Chronologics is that it was actually founded by Google employees (Lan Roche, Leor Stern, and John Lagerling). Up to this point, they had focused on the Smart watches and launched an Android-based model that integrated the Alexa voice assistance, without being pure Android Wear. That project materialized thanks to a crowdfunding campaign already a platform designed so that brands could create personalized smartwatches.
With the acquisition, Google integrates the Cronologics team into its division of Android Wear/Wear OSThe acquired company went so far as to emphasize its alignment with the Wear OS mission and its intention to push "the frontier of wearable technology," a clear sign that Google does not plan to abandon This segment, at least in the near future. It also implies that their plans to bring their software to other platforms could now be redirected to focus exclusively on the Google ecosystem.
And in reality, this comes to denote that in the company of the seeker They're not entirely sure what direction Android Wear should take.They've let go of the minds they're later bringing back to work on their smartwatch operating system. If the smartwatch world already seems to be stalled, this is even more pronounced in the case of watches with A, whose impact on the market is being much lower than that of rivals such as Apple Watch, such as smart bracelet Xiaomi Mi Band, or even like the Fitbit watches and bracelets.
This has made relevant manufacturers, such as Lenovo with its Moto 360, as well as others that also had a certain role, have decided not to continue betting on smart watches. This is undoubtedly a big problem for Google, which cannot find a way to promote one of its products that promised the most for the future, which they cannot cancel because they need it to compete with their rivals, and which has no comparison with the success that achieved with Android in the world of smartphones and tablets.
Google Pixel Watch?
The acquisition of Cronologics only denotes the absence of a clear strategy for Android Wear in its early days. All the bright minds who can participate in the project are welcome, even if they are former Google employees who left to found their own companies. In any case, Cronologics was dedicated to designing its own smartwatches, and it's possible that Google's plans for the future of Android Wear involve them. They will also launch their own smartwatches..
In fact, the company even presented a hardware roadmap at its annual developers conference that included Pixel smartphones, a tablet, and a watchThat watch, known as Pixel Watch, is destined to be the benchmark showcase of Wear OS integrated with Fitbit, following the acquisition of the latter. The focus is clear: advanced health checks, Google Assistant experience better integrated and a rounded design intended to differentiate itself from its competitors.
On the software front, Google has prepared a major update to Android Wear/Wear OS focused on three pillars: apps that work independently of the mobile phoneMobile payments with Google Wallet and a more natural integration of the voice assistant (with smoother activations, without always relying on commands) were also announced. Furthermore, it was stated that a wide range of devices would receive this improvement, including: Moto 360 Gen 2, Moto 360 Sport, LG Watch Urbane 2nd Edition LTE, LG Watch Urbane, LG G Watch R, polar M600, Casio Smart Outdoor Watch, Nixon Mission, TAG Heuer Connected, Fossil Q Wander, Fossil Q Marshal, Fossil Q Founder, Michael Kors Access Bradshaw, Michael Kors Access Dylan, Huawei Watch, Huawei Watch Ladies, Asus ZenWatch 2 y Asus ZenWatch 3.
Signs that Google is not abandoning Wear OS
Together with Cronologics, Google announced the purchase of part of Fossil's smartwatch technology and the incorporation of his R&D teamin a deal valued at tens of millions. The official message was emphatic: "wearables have the opportunity to improve our lives," reinforcing the commitment to a diverse portfolio of watchesFossil even acknowledged that the transferred innovation was not yet on the market, a clue that Google is preparing its own new features. for your platform.
These decisions, coupled with rumors and developments in Pixel WatchThey draw up a plan that combines hardware control (Google reference models) and Open to partners (Fossil, TAG Heuer, Casio, and others). For users, this means improved health features thanks to Fitbit. more autonomy of the watch compared to the mobile phone and a wider catalog of designs. For developers, the arrival of teams like Cronologics brings experience in voice interaction and on third-party platforms, key elements to differentiate Wear OS.
Given all this context, the purchase of Chronologics It is understood as one more piece of the puzzle: retaining local talent, accelerating the schedule of functions, and preparing a Pixel watch capable of setting the pace for the rest of the ecosystem. If Google manages to coordinate these acquisitions with more mature software and solid partnerships, Wear OS will have the opportunity to compete head-to-head with the current market leaders.
