Android Wear Enables Wi-Fi, Gestures to Fight Apple Watch
Apple Watch may be the talk of the town right now, but Google hopes that the latest Android Wear update - paired with sexy new hardware - will steal the spotlight. Google today (April 20) announced a new update to its wearable platform that enables Wi-Fi support, making Android Wear watches less dependent on a smartphone connection.
The latest update will be coming to all seven Android Wear watches over the next few weeks, says Google, with LG's new Watch Urbane being the first to get it.
MORE: Best Smartwatches
In addition to Wi-Fi capability, the latest OS adds new gestures and navigation, such as flicking your wrist to scroll through the screen and tapping the watch face to launch apps and send messages. Before, you had to swipe up from the watch face, then swipe left multiple times to start an app.
The new Android Wear will also let you draw emoji on the screen to add in your replies, and support always-on apps so the display never dims while you're navigating to your friend's house or crafting your reply to a message.
With Wi-Fi support, your Android Wear device will still work regardless of how far you stray from your phone, as long as you are within range of a hotspot. The Apple Watch already offers Wi-Fi connectivity and unique gesture communication via its Digital Touch feature, though.
With Apple already having received close to 1 million pre-orders for its first smartwatch, Google has to step up to retain its place in the wearables market. Android Wear watches only sold a collective 720,000 units in 2014, according to research firm Canalys. This new update could help generate more sales for Google and its partners.
Staff writer Cherlynn Low needs a smartwatch because she keeps losing her dumb watches. Follow her @cherlynnlow. Follow Tom's Guide at @tomsguide on Facebook.
Copyright 2015 Toms Guides , a Purch company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
