Google might release a pair of new, round-faced smartwatches, possibly under the Nexus brand. Both of them would showcase Android Wear 2.0, that Google recently unveiled at I/O.
The two watches, possibly codenamed Angelfish and Swordfish, might be released sometime after the current batch of Nexus phones sees the light of day. Both smartwatches are expected to showcase new experiences on Android Wear, while also providing Google assistant integration.
All of this information comes from Android Police, who are quoting unnamed sources. The publication has recently leaked the detailed descriptions and specifications of the upcoming, HTC-made, Nexus devices: Marlin and Sailfish.
According to this report, Angelfish is likely the larger of the two watches, coming with extra bells and whistles. Somewhat similar in design to the Motorola 360 and the LG Urbane LTE, Angelfish offers users a hefty 43.5mm diameter screen, with a thick body. That heft comes from the massive battery needed to power the watch’s LTE and GPS capabilities. The watch is also expected to feature a heart-rate monitor and be a true standalone Android Wear device, without needing a paired phone.
Going back to the watch’s design the report describes it as such:
The design has visible lugs, with a smooth housing shape that curves where the watch band meets the body. It does not have the stark circular "puck" shape of Motorola"s 360, nor the rather angular lugs or multi-piece design of the Urbane LTE. This gives the watch a subdued but sporty look. Angelfish has three buttons. Looking at the watch face, one large circular crown button is centered along the right side of the body, with two smaller and shorter circular buttons above and below it.
Moving on, we have a second watch, codenamed Swordfish. This is reportedly the smaller of the two, looking somewhat similar to the Pebble Time Round, albeit with a much smaller bezel. Swordfish will lack many of the capabilities of its larger sibliing.
As such you’d need to keep the Swordfish constantly paired with your smartphone, seeing as there’s no LTE nor any GPS present on the device. It might not even feature a heart-rate monitor, which would be a bizarre omission in this day and age. Perhaps Google is looking to position this at the very low-end of the smartwatch market, but that’s pure speculation on our part.
Talking about the design of Swordfish, Android Police characterized it as such:
Swordfish has a single button centered on the right-hand side of the body, with a more delicate and Apple Watch-like design. The center of the button cap appears to be polished metal, with the bezel of the crown being ridged. Aside from appearing more "raised" out of the body because of the watch"s circular shape, the button really is quite similar to the Apple Watch"s crown. Swordfish will allegedly be made available in three colors: silver, titanium, and rose gold.
Finally, there’s talk of support for Google’s interchangeable MODE bands, with the smaller Swordfish definitely being designed with MODE bands in mind. Unfortunately, the larger Angelfish watch might not support MODE due to its special lugs and band clasping mechanism.
There is no no extra information on any specs, or launch date, or even retail prices for these rumored watches right now.
Of course, before you start throwing out your watch collection, you should remember that this is just a rumor at this point, albeit a credible one. If Google is planning on launching these smartwatches later this year, we’ll likely learn more as we get closer to the fall.
Source: Android Police