Rapid technological advances in recent decades have opened the possibility of transforming the wristwatch into a device capable of doing much more than keeping time. Smart watches have been in development since 1972, when the Hamilton Watch Company introduced the “Pulsar” device. However, a big boost to smartwatch development was received with the launch of smartphone operating systems like Google’s Android, Apple’s iOS, and Microsoft’s Windows mobile platform.
Developments in computer hardware technology have made it possible to assemble small sensor chips and other circuitry in devices such as watches and glasses. Additionally, the interoperability features of the modern mobile operating system can be used to install the same kernel on these devices. The first smartwatch developed by Sony was called the “Sony SmartWatch”, a wearable electronic watch that could be integrated with Sony’s Android phones. However, this specific device had its own operating system that was compatible with Android devices.
A huge boost was received for this relatively new industry when Samsung introduced its advanced smartwatch, Galaxy Gear. Unlike Sony SmartWatch, this device runs on the Android platform, but its connectivity to smartphones and tablets is currently limited to the latest Galaxy Note and Tab devices. It incorporates most of the features expected from a next-generation portable device.
Galaxy Gear can connect to a mobile device using the latest version of Bluetooth technology and perform tasks that make certain functions on the phone redundant. The smart watch can view incoming calls, make outgoing calls based on voice commands, can take photos with a small camera located on the watch dial, and much more. In addition to displaying the time, the device is also equipped to display the current temperature and can also monitor certain health parameters with the help of Android applications. The best thing about this device is, of course, the fact that most of the applications that are already available in the Google Play store are compatible with it.
Other operating systems such as iOS and Windows 8 are expected to introduce their own versions of a smartwatch. In fact, Apple is very likely to launch an advanced smartwatch called the Apple iWatch soon. Other tech makers such as Qualcomm have also announced their intentions to develop smartwatches, making it even clearer that the future of mobile computing is not entirely dependent on smartphones and tablets.