Google 'Actively Exploring' Smartwatch Market

Search giant Google is said to be "actively exploring the smartwatch market. A source told Business Insider that the company is specifically looking at the potential methods of marketing a smartwatch.

Back in October of 2012, Google was granted a patent for a smartwatch with a flip-up display. The filing, seen below, said the watch (shown as a concept in the image above) would be able to perform a variety of actions, including offering directions, obtaining product information and displaying e-mail notifications.

Consumers have registered an interest in the lucrative smartwatch market: Pebble, a Bluetooth-powered smartwatch, raised record funds of more than $10 million on Kickstarter and the product is already shipping. Apple, meanwhile, is said to be preparing the iWatch.

Google has already invested in the wearable computing market with its Google Glass project, which may sport a laser keyboard. According to Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster, wearable computing devices could replace smartphones over the next decade.

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