FollowGoogle showcased Android Wear at its I/O back in June. We are in September as so far, surprisingly, we haven’t actually learned much about this special OS’s progress. There are a couple of smartwatches sporting Android Wear which will be launched in just a couple of days. Obviously, Google has every reason for these gadgets to be successful. Positive reviews will certainly attract future clients and we definitely expect to learn that smartwatches are one of the trendiest Christmas gifts this year. You can check out the specs of the LG’s G Watch R, a smartwatch with a truly wonderful design.
CNET managed to talk with two Google engineers about the latest Android Wear updates. Android Engineering Director David Singleton and Vice President of Android Engineering Hiroshi Lockheimer explained how they envision the future of the novel platform. Firstly, Android Wear will be updated several times until the end of the year, so it will be a lively platform.
One of the most useful information is that Wear will support standalone functionality. The new Android platform was created with accessories in mind. The philosophy implies that any accessory running Android Wear must be connected to the smartphone. Google’s engineers concluded that a smartwatch can be involved in more activities than a smartphone. The first example is running.
Android Wear updates include GPS support
While running, you will be able to listen to music stored on the smartwatch. That is right, from now on the platform will support music storage and playback. To enjoy music from your smartwatch alone, you will pair a Bluetooth headset, as AD2P Bluetooth is now supported as well.
GPS support is among the latest Android Wear updates. Basically, by using Google Fit and your smartwatch alone, you will be able to record data regarding your outdoors activities. It seems that the smartwatch increases its functionality and may even compete with smartphones at one point, which sort of makes sense, as smartphones start getting way too large for comfortable use.
“One of the things we set out to do when we set out developing the platform was to make it possible for a manufacturer to bring any sensor they could find to the platform.” Singleton claims. “We’re also seeing people do interesting things with sensors like altitude and pressure. You can imagine a device that’s particularly aimed around taking a hike. Or skiing.”
