Motorola Wearable tech has been a big, messy patch of tech wilderness. Then along came Google, announcing Android Wear and a future developer SDK. Google’s not the first major company to enter wearables (Samsung, Sony), but this is a big moment nonetheless. It’s the first time any software manufacturer has attempted to enter the wearables landscape and attempt to lay down some sort of order.

It’s also Google’s second wearables endeavor after Glass. The differences between Glass and its launch and what we know about Android Wear so far are quite, quite different.

Android Wear seems — from the few products we’ve seen, the glitzy promo videos, and the documentation Google’s laid out — to be an initiative. Not unlike Glass, Google’s 2013 wearable game plan, but different. It’s 2014, and Google has a different game afoot. Android Wear is a new stake in the ground…and a line in the sand.Android Wear watches are no prototype

As Google itself has been quick to point out, Google Glass as we currently know it isn’t a finished product. It’s a “project,” a living prototype, and a chance for early explorers to try out new tech at a high entry price. Android Wear is all about real products that’ll be ready to go by summer.

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Read also:

Android Apps for Wearable Gadgets (MIT Technology Review)

Sony shuns Android Wear, opts to keep using its own smartwatch instead (Digital Trends)

Sony won't jump on the Android Wear bandwagon just yet [updated] (BGR)

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