Android Wear 2.0 is still not ready for public consumption in a final state, but Google has been gradually working with it as much as possible to release it in developer preview phases similar to the way they have been doing with Android these past few years. The most recent iteration, Android Wear 2.0 developer preview 4, was released to users earlier this week and it brought along some bug fixes and a couple of tweaks that enhance the experience on your smartwatch. If you’re someone who prides themselves on always having the latest software on their device, there is a good chance you already have this software installed and are enjoying it as you read this, there’s also a good chance you may have been on the fence and not sure if you want to take the plunge.
While Android Wear 2.0 in itself will be a big jump from the currently available version of Android Wear that all users have access to with a stock device, this version of the developer preview doesn’t add a ton of changes and features. It does add some new stuff though, and it brings back at least one old feature that users will surely be happy to see has returned. Starting off with the older feature, swipe to dismiss notifications is now back on your wrist with developer preview 4, so if you missed having this capability, you now have it back.
As for what’s new, Google has added in the ability to use in-app billing with Android Wear, which will certainly come in handy once standalone apps are available to everybody through Android Wear 2.0 as some apps will surely have in-app purchases, and users will need only to enter a 4-digit pin code to authorize the payments. There is also a single sign-on feature that was added with this version of the software. There is still no date for the official launch of Android Wear 2.0, but with the latest dev preview here, you can at least get a taste of what’s to come. The question is did you install the latest Android Wear 2.0 developer preview, or did you keep things the way that they were?
[socialpoll id=”2407733″]