“Google has teamed up with LG in a Nexus-style partnership to produce the first devices powered by Android Wear 2.0: the LG Watch Sport and LG Watch Style,” Evan Blass reports for VentureBeat.
“The two companies will unveil these smartwatches on February 9 — at an event for the platform’s official launch — and begin selling them in the U.S. the next day, according to marketing material shared with VentureBeat,” Blass reports. “The rollout will continue to other regions through February and March, with the watches given prominent placement at LG’s booth at Mobile World Congress, which starts on February 27 in Barcelona.”
“Along with iOS compatibility, the two watches also share another commonality with the Apple Watch: a digital crown button that serves to facilitate navigation,” Blass reports. “The displays are touch sensitive as well, and boast handwriting recognition.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: But, Apple’s already patented Apple Watch’s Digital Crown… Oh, wait, silly us, as if that matters a whit.
SEE ALSO:
Apple patents Apple Watch-style digital crown for iPhone and iPad – July 28, 2016
Apple Watch patents cover the ultimate selfie camera, the Digital Crown and More – June 16, 2016
Apple’s patent applications details Apple Watch’s Digital Crown – June 18, 2015
After getting assimilated by Apple Watch, now I want a Digital Crown on my iPhone – August 13, 2015
One critical thing screwgle learned from Scamscum is do not be intimidated by patents, to companies with no regard for ethics.
Two*
Though it is called a “digital crown”, it appears to lack ‘notches’ for grip and really looks more like just a push button. It might not be used in the same way as Apple’s version. No actual usage reviews out yet but I suspect it might be a small push-capable touch surface rather than a dial.
My Apple Watch’s digital crown has notches. Maybe not as bit as other but you can feel them with your finger nail
Xennex1170 meant the Google devices, not the Apple Watches.
Also, talk about patent trolls — patenting a dial seems silly to me.
Oh, it’s not a dial? It’s a DIGITAL CROWN? It’s a control device that rotates and presses to select, view and do things?
You mean like all the dials and buttons that have been on things for 25 years?
Yup, my mistake. Don’t know how I misread that originally.
Why are Apple’s patents not useful in regards to copying? What’s the point if anyone can use them? Licensing fees?
I’m guessing the patent was too generic and had plenty of loopholes for other people to rip off. I’m surprised other companies would copy Apple’s DC design. I’ve heard so many people saying AppleWatch’s Digital Crown design sucked and that the current Android smartwatches selector ring was a much better design due to it being larger in size. Whatever Apple does always seems to be easily imitated by others. Back when the first AppleWatch and the Digital Crown was introduced, it was said that Samsung was going to eventually rip it off. Why not? Apple has become a pushover as a company.
“I’ve heard so many people saying AppleWatch’s Digital Crown design sucked and that the current Android smartwatches selector ring was a much better design”
That’s just a delay tactic till they have time to “innovate” by copying Apple.
“Back when the first AppleWatch and the Digital Crown was introduced, it was said that Samsung was going to eventually rip it off.”
For AppleWatch and Digital Crown, substitute the name of any Apple device and any innovative feature, or even a new colour and the sentence still works exactly the same.
Google’s wearables will fail to even to make a dent in Apple’s market share in wearables. In the same way that I knew from day one that Apple’s watch would not be a big seller relative to iPhones, I can tell you that Google’s will do worse. A certain kind of person wants a smart watch. They are typically smarter, better educated, often health fanatics, fashion conscious, more wealthy, and are all to aware of why they are buying deeper into Apple’s consumer infotainment ecosystem. They are professionals who are actually busy enough to care about the seconds that wrist notifications save throughout the day.
Those people don’t buy Android. Apple controls the top tier mobile customer, and even Apple has only so many of these top tier Apple customers.
As with other Android devices it may all depend on how affordable those wearables become.
Well, at least they were smart enough to make them iOS compatible. I hope for their customers that that is not just lip service in order to put a bullet point on their ad’s.
I just upgraded to the Series 2 Apple Watch and I love it. The software runs much better on the new device. Its better and easier to use. Hey Siri works great now. Its a much better package and its waterproof! So happy!
My first gen Watch still works well for all the things I need it to do. Waiting for Watch 3 and more tempting reasons to buy.
I don’t know what stupid patent office gave Apple a patent for putting a crown on a watch.