Google not Apple pegged as biggest smartwatch challenger
The smartwatch space is reportedly on the verge of adding a couple of new big players, with wearables maker Magellan suggesting the mooted Google Watch would be more of a threat than the heavily rumoured Apple iWatch.
With both Google and Apple having been repeatedly rumoured to be working on their own smartwatch offerings, sports watch maker Magellan has told TrustedReviews it is more wary about Google enter the wrist wear market than its Cupertino-based rival.
Question on whether a Google or Apple watch would be of bigger threat to Magellan, Clark Weber, the company’s Senior Director of Wearable Technology stated: “Google because its more open and because of the developer opportunities.”
Despite Weber suggesting that Apple’s notoriously closed door ecosystem would make it harder for developers to create bespoke services for users, the Magellan exec has claimed that up until recently, he would have deemed the Apple iWatch a bigger threat.
“If you’d have asked me that a year ago I would have said Apple because at that point, with apps and revenue generated for fitness apps it was primarily all still iOS,” he told us.
Looking at how Android has grown into the market he added: “In speaking to fitness app developers it’s now more a 50-50 split with iOS and Android. They are still making more revenue of iOS users but I think it’s only a matter of time until that changes.
“Since we have an open platform with an open SDK, a rival that wants to have its own open would be more of a concern.”
Although admitting that both Google and Apple smartwatches would be serious competition to Magellan’s product lines, including the latest Magellan Echo sports watch, Weber has claimed that the two big names would help boost the market for everyone.
“I think [Apple and Google] would help the market. The more people we have to bring out the category and make it acceptable is going to help,” Weber said.
“One of the struggles we have with Echo right now is wearing a watch that relies on your phone is still a new concept for people.”
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