Google I/O has been running for 10 years now, and every year since the original we’ve seen some pretty major announcements where Android is concerned, and back in 2014 we got familiar with Android Wear. Since then, the platform has seen a number of updates here and there and there are now watches available from big name brands such as Fossil, Michael Kors, TAG Heuer as well as electronics companies like Huawei, LG and Sony. On stage during this year’s I/O, Google gave us a sneak preview of what the future holds for Android Wear 2.0, launching later this year.
Android Wear 2.0 is to bring all sorts of party tricks to the platform, including the ability to put info from other apps on top of any other watch face, whether or not it was from Google in the first place. Android Wear watches are also set to become more independent, able to do more without needing a connected phone, including being able to go for a run, listing to music from Spotify and a lot more. Much like Android N is right now, Android Wear 2.0 is being launched as a Developer Preview, and those interested in seeing what the new version is all about will be able to download it on to their Android Wear watch, if they’re an owner of either a Huawei Watch or a Watch Urbane 2nd Edition from LG.
It is a little frustrating to see that only these two watches are included in the preview, but not all watches feature the same sort of flexibility when it comes to software and such. The original LG G Watch has proven to be very flexible in this regard, and not seeing it included in this preview could mean that it won’t be updated in the future. We shouldn’t get too far ahead of ourselves of course, as this is the first time that Google has previewed a new version of Android Wear, and it could be that developers at Google are just more familiar with these models then any other. Either way, those looking to preview Android Wear 2.0 can do so by hitting the source link.
