If consumer electronics companies are to be believed,
someone on your holiday shopping list is just dying for a wristwatch that
displays message alerts and weather updates.
Samsung and Sony have devices out for the holidays. Qualcomm
has one coming. Apple is believed to be making one, and a new report says
Google is developing one, too.
Why the big push for computerized watches? It's not coming
from consumers, says Jonathan Gaw, a research manager at IDC. Rather, it's a
product in search of a market _and an expensive one at that.
``We've had smartwatches for a while, and while the
capabilities and technology have gotten better, this is still not something
that people are clamoring for,'' Gaw says. ``The idea that it would ramp up for
the holidays was always kind of a stretch.''
That hasn't stopped gadget makers from trying. Companies are
under pressure to create a new source of buzz now that consumers are no longer wowed
by the latest smartphones and tablet computers. Many people already have those
devices, and the new ones out this year are evolutionary rather than
revolutionary.
Gaw says many gadget makers see an opportunity to jump in
with a smartwatch, before a behemoth like Apple is able get its rumored iWatch
ready.
Last month, Samsung Electronics Co. started selling the $300
Galaxy Gear in the U.S.
It works with selected Samsung smartphones to display email and text alerts.
There's a camera on the strap for low-resolution photos and a speakerphone on
the watch to make calls while leaving your phone in the pocket. You can install
apps for additional functionality, such as tracking fitness activities and
playing games, though there are only a handful of apps available for now.
Sony Corp.'s SmartWatch 2 is cheaper, at $200. Unlike the
Gear, it works with a variety of Android phones, not just Sony's. But it
doesn't let you make phone calls directly through the wristwatch. You can
answer calls using the watch, but you need a Bluetooth wireless headset linked
to the phone if you don't want to hold it to your ear.
Qualcomm Inc., meanwhile, plans to start selling Toq before
the holidays. It, too, will work with several Android devices.
Another smartwatch getting attention is the Pebble, which
comes from a startup that raised more than $10 million through the fundraising
site Kickstarter. It notifies you of incoming calls, texts and emails.
Apple isn't likely to release its iWatch before next year,
given that no mention was made of it at the company's product showcase last week.
As for Google, The Wall Street Journal cited unnamed people
familiar with the matter on Tuesday in reporting that the Internet search
company is in late-stage development on a smartwatch which could be ready for
mass production within months.
Samsung and Sony executives say they've designed their
watches to give people ready access to information they would normally check on
their phones, reducing the need to constantly pull out the phones.
Only Qualcomm seems to be acknowledging that there's no real
consumer demand for smartwatches yet. The company says it's trying to showcase
what's possible, so other manufacturers will take the concept and build better
products _ using Qualcomm's display technology and other components.
In a September briefing with The Associated Press, Samsung
executives said the company has a history of taking risks. The company notes
that people were skeptical about its Note phones with big screens, too, but now
several other manufacturers are making Android phones with bigger and bigger
screens.
