Android Wear vs. Apple Watch Features Review: Form and Function
The year 2014 was also the year when digital fitness trackers became the "in" thing. According to a report on Digital Trends, the evolution of the smartwatch followed not so far behind. Two of the leading companies in smartphones and tablets, Google and Apple are going neck and neck to come up with their own line of smartwatches.
Google was the first to announce Android Wear in the second quarter of 2014, the company's own line of wearable technology. Apple followed a few months after, announcing their own Apple Watch during a big press event in September 2014.
Android Wear was made available from three different companies namely LG, Samsung and Motorola. Like the Android OS on phones, the Android Wear can be found on the LG G Watch, Samsung Gear Live and the Moto 360. These were available to the public starting June 2014. Apple Watch, on the other hand, will be available for sale in April 2015, and will have "three major models ranging from the fitness-oriented Apple Watch Sport to the stylish and luxurious model in 18-karat gold."
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Apple also keeps in mind that different types of customers have different needs so they "designing their line of watches" for both left- and right-handed users, and for users who have smaller or bigger wrists.
In terms of design, the Android smartwatches already available in the market have rounded screens, although Moto 360 has a cheaper version with a square and bigger screen. Smartwatches are not just about functionality but also about how it looks, because it also serves as an accesory.
An example of actual screen size is 1.56 in on the Moto 360. On the hand, Apple decided to make its smartwatch screen square shaped. According to the Apple website, there will be three different lines of Apple Watches, from Watch, Watch Sport and Watch Edition, each line with its own set of interchangeable bands in different styles, colors and materials.
There are a few similarities between Android Wear and Apple Watch. Both smartwatches offer voice integration. On Wear, this is powered by Google Now, which can allow the user to search for information online or send texts, set alarms and other functions compatible with smartphones. Voice on the Apple Watch will likely be powered by Siri, which is part of "the iconic iOS experience," the report states.
Another parallel feature is the one on fitness. Through Google Fit, Wear will have features "for setting exercise goals, reminders, and fitness summaries, along with the ability to provide real-time speed, distance, and pace information for various activity." Third-party fitness apps can also integrated through Google Fit. On the Apple Watch, the new app called Healthbook will likely play a central role in fitness-tracking.
The report further described how Android Wear will provide "seamless integration" between the watch and the smartphone, thereby making the user's life a lot easier. It is unclear however in the report and in the Apple website how this integration will happen between iOS phones and tablets and the Apple Watch.
In terms of saleability, Apple is betting big on their Apple Watch. Just recently, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal, Apple ordered "more than 5 million watches" in preparation for its April release. 2014 sales of Android Wear devices was pegged at 720,000 units according to the report.
