Google isn't
standing still with its wearable platform now that Apple has given the
press a chance to use the Apple Watch. A source knowledgeable with
Android Wear's product road map tells The Verge that the next software
release will turn on Wi-Fi support, meaning that features like
notifications and Google Now will work when a Bluetooth connection is
unavailable. Most Android Wear watches already have Wi-Fi built in, so a
simple software update should activate the feature for them.
Along
with the Wi-Fi update, there will be at least two additional, smaller
updates. The first is gesture control. Users will be able to flick their
wrist to scroll through notifications and Google Now cards, rather than
needing to use their other hand to swipe on the screen. The UI will
also get some tweaks, with easier access to both Android Wear
applications and contacts. Finding applications in Android Wear right
now requires either spoken commands or digging through an extra layer of
menus.
Just yesterday, Apple revealed the last pieces of
information about the Apple Watch that we were waiting for. Apple
detailed support for what looks to be a surprisingly robust ecosystem of
apps and services that will work with its Watch, which will likely cut
into any head start Android Wear managed to get. Google has recently
become more vocal about Android Wear on its blogs, detailing developer
APIs for Wear and a growing ecosystem of apps.
Of course, direct
comparisons between the two watch platforms can only go so far. Neither
smartwatch works with the competitor's smartphone: Android users can't
use the Apple Watch, and iPhone users can't use Android Wear. But
because of that lock-in, it's important for both companies to work to
maintain something like feature parity, so as to prevent users from
wanting to switch platforms because they'd like to use a different
smartwatch. That sort of concern may seem small while the smartwatch
market is so nascent, but if Apple and Google have their way, it won't
remain a small market for very long.
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