LG and Motorola to make the first Android Wear smartwatches

If you’ve been following yesterday’s announcement about Android Wear, then you’ve probably heard about LG and Motorola’s plans to release Android-powered smartwatches very soon. (HTC, ASUS, Samsung, and Fossil are also in on the fun, but these companies haven’t announced anything specific quite yet.)

So what exactly can we expect from LG and Motorola?

LG G Watch

LG is planning to make its G Watch “a low barrier to entry for developers,” meaning that it will probably be aggressively priced, just like the Google Nexus 4 and Nexus 5, both by LG. The Korean manufacturer also says that it will “offer the best Google experience for users” – the reference to the Google experience makes it seem like Google might have more control of the design and implementation of the G Watch than it will with other manufacturers, so I’m very excited to see what the two companies will come up with when this watch is finally released.

LG won’t talk about specs, but did have this to say:

The opportunity to work with Google on LG G Watch was the perfect chance for LG to really pull out all stops in both design and engineering … With the LG G Watch, LG is continuing the milestones we’ve set in wearables following in the footsteps of the world’s first 3G Touch Watch Phone in 2009 and the Prada Link in 2008. We’re confident that a well-designed device has the potential to take the smart wearable market by storm.

Moto 360

Thanks to Motorola’s new landing page, we do know a bit more about the Moto 360 than the LG G Watch. With an expected release this summer, we know that there will be several styles to choose from, although all will most likely have a round face. It will work with all Android devices running Android 4.3 and higher, and include a “secret charging method” with no visible USB connection on the body.

Some Moto 360 rumors are pointing toward a very limited availability initially, which will make it a bit harder to come by (maybe this will only initially be for Google I/O attendees?), and I wouldn’t be surprised to see consumer pricing much higher than LG’s offering.

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