G-Shock For Google
Casio has announced its first G-Shock smartwatch based on Wear OS, following on from Wea OS’s introduction on Casio’s ProTech range previously. The HSW-H1000 is part of the G-Squad Pro line-up and costs $700. For that money, you get one tough device, with a titanium back and water resistance down to 200 meters depth. Casio has embrace the concept of a two layer screen with an always-on LCD screen for the time combined with a color LCD screen for maps, notifications and other “smart” things. And it’s laden with features, such as compass bearing, altitude, barometric pressure and so on, as well as all the usual sensors. The watch is expected to hit the market in May.
The NPD Take:
- Apple is rumored to be developing a rugged version of the Apple Watch and that may impact Casio’s success, at least among iPhone followers. Or perhaps not. Casio has a unique style that a consumer will either covet and wear, or not. They are less likely to be pulled over to an Apple design quite so quickly. Further, this is a Wear OS device, best suited for the Android followers.
LG Down and Out?
In a move that everyone has been predicting for months (if not years), LG has announced that it is exiting the mobile market. While the dust has yet to settle on the official announcement, we expect that it will mean LG is also leaving the smartwatch business. After all, a company like LG looks for the interconnection between watches and phones when developing a solution. Of course, to date LG has made little impact in the smartwatch market (in the US) and so the impact will be minimal at this time.
The NPD Take:
- We have an alternative take for LG. Freed from the confines of playing second fiddle to the phone business, LG should consider retaining its smartwatch business and building it up. With its mobile know-how, the company could develop interesting watch designs and functionality to help shake up the market. After all, the watch still has the potential to become the central communications device for a consumer, surpassing the watch.