Google smartwatch code-named 'Gem' rumoured to be released this month

Smartwatch would be powered by Google Now, offering notifications from users' phones as well as responding to voice-commands and queries

Reports have surfaced suggesting that Google will be entering the smartwatch market with a finished product to launch at the end of the month.

Codenamed ‘Gem’, the smartwatch would reportedly utilise the search giant’s digital ‘personal assistant’ and all-round lackey, Google Now. As with the Samsung’s Galaxy Gear, the Google Gem would be synced to an Android smartphone, say reports from 9to5 Google.

This would mean that the watch could display notifications and alerts culled from calendars, emails and messages, whilst a voice-enabled search function could answer a range of queries, from questions about the weather to sports results.

The rumoured launch would coincide with the release of the latest version of Android (code-named KitKat) and the new Nexus 5 smartphone. This might herald a set-up similar to the Galaxy Gear with a larger-screened smartphone paired with a second-screen smartwatch that flags up notifications and alerts.

A manual thought to belong to the Nexus 5 was leaked earlier this month, revealing details of a phone with a 1080p screen, 2GB of RAM and a 2.3GHz processor.