Mountain View, Calif. — Google is releasing a modified version of its Android operating system for wearable electronics.
In a blog post this morning, senior VP Sundar Pichai introduced Android Wear, which is built around Google Now voice-recognition technology and will initially roll out next quarter in a smart watch from LG, the G Watch.
“The opportunity to work with Google on [the] LG G Watch was the perfect chance for LG to really pull out all stops in both design and engineering,” said Dr. Jong-seok Park, CEO of LG’s mobile communications division. “We’re confident that a well-designed device has the potential to take the smart wearable market by storm.”
Motorola also announced its first Android Wear product, the Moto 360 smart watch, which will be debut in the U.S. and be available globally “in a variety of styles” this summer.
Other hardware partners announced for Android Wear include Asus, HTC, LG, Motorola and Samsung. In addition, fashion watch maker The Fossil Group announced its intention to market a line of Android Wear watches later this year.
The modified OS will also focus on health and fitness tracking.
Starting today, Google is offering a developer preview of the new OS that can be tailored to existing app notifications for watches powered by Android Wear.
Chip partners for the new OS include Broadcom, Imagination, Intel, Mediatek and Qualcomm.
Google also unveiled an online video for consumers previewing Android Wear as well another video aimed at developers.
