Android Wear on the LG G Watch. Photo: Google.

When Google announced Android Wear back in July, the company showed the world what a great smartwatch platform should be like. With a simple user interface and all the right features, it highlighted the flaws in almost every other wearable we had already seen from Samsung and Sony and others.

But now Android Wear has a new competitor. Apple Watch, announced on Tuesday alongside the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, delivers a new operating system packed with useful features that’s more than capable of competing with Google’s. So how can the search giant fight back and ensure a successful future for Android Wear?

Its first step should be to beat Apple Watch on its own turf by making Android Wear compatible with iOS.

Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android.

HTC is still hard at work developing its first smartwatch, according to “people familiar with the matter,” and you’ll be able to buy it early next year.

A recent report claimed that the Taiwanese company had scrapped plans to build a wearable due to the rising costs of components and increasing competition from a growing number of Android Wear devices. But to the delight of HTC fans everywhere, it appears those claims were false.

Photo: LG.

While the new Apple Watch may deliver a few features that might make Google and its Android Wear partners a little shaky, its $350 price tag certainly won’t be one of them. Every Android Wear watch we’ve seen so far has been considerably more affordable, and Google has this week make the gap even greater by making the LG G Watch just $179 through Google Play.

The all-metal Moto 360. Image: Motorola.

Verizon has today begun accepting pre-orders for the upcoming Moto 360 that ships with a stainless steel band. The device will be available in both silver and grey, and it will cost $299 with free shipping — that’s $50 more than the current leather-banded model, which went on sale just last week.

Photo: Motorola

The Motorola Moto 360, the Android Wear watch you’ve been waiting for, finally goes on sale today priced at $249.99. It will be available in two options — black with a black strap and a limited edition silver with a grey suede strap — and you’ll be able to order it directly from Motorola, through Google Play, or from Best Buy.