The Google Smartwatch update will not be present this year following an announcement made by Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL) on Thursday.
The Google smartwatch update was expected to reveal the Android Wear 2.0 but the announcement from Alphabet subsidiary Google means it has been pushed back to early 2017. However, the actual date of the launch is yet to be confirmed. The Android Wear 2 was first announced at the Google I/O conference that was held in May, meaning the launch was expected to happen a few months later, particularly this fall. However, Google has changed the timeline meaning users will not get their hands on an update until next year.
“We have decided to continue the preview program into early 2017, at which point the first watches will receive Android Wear 2.0,” revealed Google in a blogpost.
What the Google smartwatch update is expected to offer
The Google smartwatch update is expected to reveal standalone apps that do not require the user to pair his/her phone for optimum function. The Android Wear 2.0 is also expected to focus fitness and as a result there will new tracking features on board as well as an onscreen keyboard.
The impact of the delay especially with regards to the competition
Despite the announcement that the Google smartwatch update will be delayed, the company did not reveal any reasons for the decision. However, there are a few implications of pushing back the launch. The company will not get an opportunity to take advantage of this year’s holiday season. It also gives the competition a chance to maintain their dominance.
It is speculated that Google may have decided to delay the launch so that it can work on a few extra tweaks to make the final product more appealing. It has been a slow start for Android Wear and hopefully the delayed Google smartwatch update will provide some positive momentum once it is launched.
Alphabet stock closed the latest trading session at $802.64 down by $7.42 or 0.92% compared to the performance in the previous trading session. The stock had a trading volume of 1.35 million shares.
