Users looking to pick up an Android Wear smartwatch should think twice before doing so, as they first have to make sure if the device is compatible with their Android phone.
Android Wear smartwatches require smartphones with Android 4.3 or newer for pairing. However, according to Google, only 13.6 percent of all active Android phones as of June 4 are on Android 4.4, and including all active Android phones on version 4.3., the number only goes up to 23.9 percent.
This figure means that less than a quarter of all active Android smartphones in use today are compatible with Android Wear smartwatches.
In comparison, Sony's SmartWatch 2 works with Android devices as old as version 4.0.
"With Android Wear, Google is repeating the same mistake Samsung made when it launched its Galaxy Gear smart watch which was only compatible with the latest Samsung phones," said Maxim Integrated investment lead Yoon Choi.
"Google is effectively cutting Android Wear from the larger market that includes other versions of Android as well as iOS."
In addition to not being an open platform and not working with iOS devices, Android Wear smartwatches will not sync with Windows or Mac computers, effectively further cutting down the compatibility of these devices with the gadgets that users already currently own.
Adding to the problem is the delay with which smartphone manufacturers adopt new versions of the Android operating system. The delay, which often takes several months, is due to the manufacturers modifying Android with their company's user interfaces and features.
However, it can be pointed out that the people that will consider acquiring an Android Wear smartwatch are those that are up to date with the latest technology, meaning that they will probably have their Android phones updated to version 4.3 or 4.4.
At the keynote speech at the recently held I/O Conference 2014, Google demonstrated its Android Wear SDK by showcasing functionalities of some Android wearable devices. One such functionality is accessing Google Now cards, along with apps within a paired smartphone.
In addition, apps downloaded to Android smartphones that have counterparts for Android smartwatches will be automatically downloaded for the wearable devices so that they can be instantly synced.
At the conference, Google also showed the first devices that will be using Android Wear, namely the LG G Watch, the Samsung Gear Live and the Motorola Moto 360.
The LG G Watch and the Samsung Gear Live can now be pre-ordered online through the Google Play Store, with the devices beginning shipment on July 7. The Motorola Moto 360, on the other hand, will be made available later during the summer.
