Motorola fans had a lot to be interested about this past week, with the launch of larger Moto X phones and the return of the best budget smartphone available in the Moto G. However, the whole Android community was probably waiting for a new Moto 360 to be announced, and sadly we did not get such a device. Leading up to the event, it was becoming clear that Motorola didn’t have a new smartwatch to show off, after all the leaks we saw of the new Moto X devices, we saw not one Moto 360 leak. This got me thinking, with a new Moto 360 not launching until probably the Fall (when the Moto X Style/Pure goes on sale) and the Huawei Watch being delayed, I have to wonder whether or not Google has asked their partners to hold off on their launches.
Google have made it abundantly clear with the launch of the Nexus devices each year that they like to launch new software, with new hardware. Not only does this create more buzz around the new platform, but it also helps get more users on the Android train. With LG, Google launched the Android 5.1.1 update for Android Wear with the Watch Urbane. While that annoyed a lot of G Watch R owners, it certainly generated a buzz around both new launches. As the Apple Watch has proven to be something of a success, it’s likely that Google is looking to make a big splash this holiday season. How can they do that? By launching new software with fancy new watches.
The Huawei Watch has been delayed until this Fall, and if the Moto 360 has been quietly been shelved as well, then Google could be working on something big. The Moto 360 was one of the most popular Android Wear watches, and for many it’s a simple of the “Android Watch” so it’s understandable Google would ask Motorola to keep their new smartwatch under wraps. The Huawei Watch was mysteriously unveiled, with a range of different bands and designs as well as hardware that felt mostly complete on the MWC show floor, and then nothing. We didn’t hear anything more other than it was coming later this year. If Google have something big planned for Android Wear, a complete version 2.0 of the software or something similar, then launching it with the new Moto 360 and Huawei Watch might prove a good strategy.