According to an earlier report by prolific leaker Evan Blass, Google will soon be revealing the first two smartwatches that will be powered by Android Wear 2.0, the latest version of the company's operating system for wearable devices.
China-based smartphone manufacturer is apparently also getting into the Android Wear 2.0 game, as a report claims that it is preparing to launch the ZTE Quartz.
ZTE Quartz The Company's First Android Wear Smartwatch.
The ZTE Quartz, which was also reported by Blass after marketing material on the device was shared with VentureBeat, will be the company's first Android Wear-powered smartwatch. It is also likely that the ZTE Quartz will be on Android Wear 2.0 upon its release.
The device was recently spotted as it received Bluetooth certification under the model number ZW10. However, the promotional materials that were sent to VentureBeat were still in development and did not reveal much detail on the smartwatch.
The specifications of the ZTE Quartz are largely unknown, but according to Bluetooth SIG, the smartwatch will offer UMTS 3G cellular connectivity to support its Wi-Fi radio, and could possibly allow users to make and receive calls through the device. There have also been previous reports that ZTE is working on an Android Wear smartwatch that will feature LTE connectivity, with the device possibly being the ZTE Quartz.
Interestingly, ZTE has already previously launched a device bearing the Quartz name, in the form of a 5.5-inch smartphone powered by the now-outdated Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. The upcoming smartwatch, however, can be paired with devices on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean or later and iOS 8.2 or later, which opens up the quirky possibility of owning and connecting the smartphone and smartwatch version of the ZTE Quartz.
When Will The ZTE Quartz Be Officially Unveiled?
Speculation on when the ZTE Quartz will be officially unveiled is that the smartwatch will make a showing at the Mobile World Congress, which will be held in Barcelona from Feb. 27 to March 2.
However, given the fact that the marketing materials received by VentureBeat are still in development and come with limited details, there is the chance that it will take months before the ZTE Quartz is released into the market.
The date shown on the face of the ZTE Quartz in the rather blurry image that was uploaded by Blass on his Twitter account is May 31. This might mean nothing and could just be a random date, but it could also be hinting on when the smartwatch will be launched.
Android Wear 2.0 Incoming
Google is all set to unveil Android Wear 2.0 on Feb. 8, along with the LG Watch Sport and the LG Watch Style.
The LG Watch Sport, touted as the flagship device over the LG Watch Style, has recently been spotted on Geekbench. The benchmark revealed that the smartwatch will pack a quad-core 1.4 GHz Qualcomm processor with 768 MB of RAM.
The LG Watch Style, meanwhile, was recently leaked by Blass to have silver and rose gold color options.
