"The patent description gives us a better idea on what a smartwatch might entail. It would have its own wireless connectivity (not using a smartphone’s connection, like the Pebble smartwatch does). It would have a touchscreen. It would have its own processor, likely to run the Android operating system. 

The language and the “flip up portion” is a little confusing. From the pictures in the patent filing, it looks like the watch could have a flip top that could be used as an augmented reality layer, not unlike how Google employs augmented reality in Google Glass. 

The race for the smartwatch is truly on. We have three great companies in Apple, Google and Samsung looking to push the bounds of mobile innovation and cross it with wearable computing. In the end, it looks like we as consumers become the winners."

Check out the diagrams.

Questions:

1. How inexpensive does it have to be for people to buy it? $99? $199? $249?

2. Will Google market it as a supplement to Android or will they go after iPhone owners too?

3. Where is Microsoft?

Microsoft watches are done.

http://www.geekwire.com/2012/smart-anymore-microsoft-watches-officially/

So just like with tablets and smartphones, Microsoft was too early.

It turns out that many companies have tried and failed to make smart watches:

http://www.businessinsider.com/smartwatch-failures-2013-3?op=1

Not just Microsoft has failed. Sony and Samsung have failed, too.