Android Wear 2.0 will now be released in 2017, new dev preview now has Play Store on watches
- Fariha Khan
- October 2, 2016
- 585
Android Wear 2.0 which was supposed to be on the shelves this fall will not be available in early 2017. Why? Well, Google wishes to take some more time in order to make certain improvements in the operating system. It plans to release a number of additional developer previews before the actual launch. With the release of today we have got to know about other features such as the Play Store accessible directly from the watch.
Focus on quality requirements
According to Google, the company is focusing on “quality requirements” for the platform and that is why the launch has been delayed. The reason for rescheduling is not hardware in any way. Earlier this month, some of the prominent partners such as LG, Huawei and Motorola announced that they do not plan to release the new devices this year.
Play Store directly on the watch
While there are various new features that have got to know through Developer Preview 3, a Play Store directly on the watch makes the most prominent one. It will enable iOS users to installs apps by making Android Wear less dependent on a phone. The Play Store will download apps over Wi-fi, Bluetooth, or a cellular connection. Presently, paid app purchases have to be authenticated on a phone. With the “My apps” section, you will be able to update or uninstall apps. You can also opt to simply download the watch module of an app.
Other features
Smart Reply to automatically respond to incoming messages and Interface enhancements for round watches include are some other features.
Just a little more wait
At the moment, the developer preview is available for the Huawei Watch and LG Watch Urbane 2nd Edition LTE only. However, Google is expected to release another preview soon. The present devices are likely to get Android Wear 2.0 when the final version launches in 2017.
