Swiss watchmaker Tag Heuer has announced it is to build an Android Wear-powered smartwatch.<\/p>\n
The firm – which is part of the luxury goods-maker LVMH Group – is forming a partnership with Google and the chipmaker Intel to create the device.<\/p>\n
Switzerland dominates the high-end watch sector. This marks the first of its companies to join Google’s wearable tech ecosystem.<\/p>\n
One analyst linked the move to Apple’s entry into the market.<\/p>\n
The announcement was made at the Baselworld trade show in Switzerland.<\/p>\n
Jean-Claude Biver, president of LVMH’s watch division, told the BBC that it made sense to look beyond Switzerland’s borders once his firm had decided to enter the smartwatch market.<\/p>\n
“There are two operating systems: one is Apple’s iOS, the other is Android Wear – who are we to invent another language at that level?” he said.<\/p>\n
“It would be absurd, it would be arrogant to believe that we could develop our own [operating system]. It would be a catastrophe to believe such a stupid thing.<\/p>\n
“There is no doubt that we could eventually go to Apple, but why should we do a partnership with Apple, who is producing watches? On the one side they would be partners, on the other a competitor.<\/p>\n
“Google is not producing watches, so the relationship is perfect.”<\/p>\n
About 720,000 watches powered by Android Wear were shipped in 2014, according to market research firm Canalys.<\/p>\n
To date fitness tracking wristbands have outsold the smartwatch sector as a whole by a wide margin.<\/p>\n
However, next month’s launch of the Apple Watch – backed by a big budget marketing campaign – is expected to raise interest in the sector.<\/p>\n
Apple’s wearable is only compatible with its own handsets, and phones powered by the Android operating system are much more widespread.<\/p>\n
“Tag Heuer’s decision to partner with technology companies to deliver a smartwatch will likely be the first of many similar deals. As the Baselworld event shows, the luxury goods space is big business.”<\/p>\n
The Swiss firm has not revealed any images of what the device will look like yet.<\/p>\n
But Mr Biver suggested it would stand out from other smartwatches.<\/p>\n
“The whole look of the watch will be different,” he said.<\/p>\n
“It will be a traditional look. It will not look like an Apple Watch. An Apple Watch looks like a miniaturised copy of its phone. Our watch will never look like a phone.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Source: BBC<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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