Will Google finally get the smartwatch right?

I rant a lot about smartwatches. They’re not designed for women and, when it comes to tech companies, only Apple seems to have seen this glaring oversight. I’ve been rather outspoken about the Guess Connect Smartwatch because I think that watch makers have a far better understanding of what we actually want from a watch (smart or not).

Turns out I’m not alone in my thinking. Google has partnered up with TAG Heuer and Intel to announce that they will be launching a Swiss smartwatch. Clever move if you ask me. TAG Heuer has a far better understanding of watches – what works, what doesn’t and what we actually want. No matter how many tweets you can read on your wrist it still needs to be, look and operate like a watch. They’re fashion accessories more so than gadgets.

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It’s interesting that Intel has got involved in this one. Last year I was in San Francisco and got a chance to chat to Michael Bell about wearables. He let me play with Intel’s Mica offering and also shared my views on the smartwatch craze. Do people really want an overly priced, comes with a useless battery, band on their arm to talk in to? We both agreed: No.

Yet Bell, Intel’s Corporate Vice President and General Manager of Intel’s New Devices Group, threw his weight behind the Google and TAG Heuer collab saying that this collective approach should inspire new innovation. He says the partnership will bring us closer to realising the vision of wearable technology with a distinctive smartwatch that elevates the category.

So, after this announcement and my chat with Bell, here’s what I think we can expect:

  1. Based off the Mica prototype it’ll be woman friendly or at least offer an option for women. TAG Heuer will make sure it is as sexy as hell.
  2. The new offering will have some sort of feature that differentiates it from a phone strapped to your wrist (Bell’s biggest issue with current smartwatches on the market).
  3. It should have a half decent battery.
  4. It will be stuff off expensive because – TAG Heuer.

Will Google finally get the smartwatch right? Only time will tell (see what I did there?). In the mean time if, like me, you’re still not buying in to the craze, I found these gorgeous watches from Danish Design. Granted, they won’t vibrate when you get a what’s app but they’re rather sexy and specifically female. The brown and gold one will set you back R3299 while the gold and silver watch is R2599. Less than you’ll likely blow on the current  premium smartwatches on the market AND you won’t have to charge them every few hours.

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