Now Google’s Android unit is reportedly working on a smartwatch

With Apple and Samsung reportedly working on next-generation smartwatches, it was only a matter of time until we heard that Google was joining the party.

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Google’s Android unit is reportedly working on a smartwatch of its own, the Financial Times reports. Just as we’ve heard about Apple’s supposed iWatch, Google’s device will serve as an extension to your smartphone, a source tells the FT.

Project Glass, Google’s futuristic wearable display, is being spearheaded by Google’s X Lab, not the Android team, so the two projects could end up dueling for the mantle of Google’s top wearable computing project; although the smartwatch will likely end up retailing well below Project Glass’s $1,500 price (which itself will likely fall significantly over the next few years).

Google received a patent for a “smart watch including flip-up display” last October, which has been reported previously — so it’s not a huge surprise to hear that a smartwatch may be in the works.

The rumor gels well with Google’s reported X Phone, which we hear Google is developing together with its subsidiary, Motorola Mobility. With a potential smartwatch, X Phone, and Project Glass down the line, the Google of the future seems to be far more reliant on its own consumer devices, rather than on those produced by partners (which have led to some serious issues with its hold on the Android ecosystem).

Photo via: Rob Bulmahn/Flickr