Android Wear

Early hands-on with Android Wear 2.0 – The “biggest update yet” to the wearable working system

In transient:

• Android Wear 2.0 launch date: Autumn 2016
• Android Wear 2.0 beta: Available now

If there’s one piece of Google’s software program household that was in want of some severe love at I/O it was Android Wear. The wearable working system had seen sparse new options added since its introduction, however that now seems to be set to vary.

Android Wear 2.0 is the system’s largest replace so far, however I’m nonetheless not totally satisfied that it’ll deliver the modifications which are so desperately wanted.

Complications and standalone apps are massive updates

Easily probably the most thrilling function coming with model 2.0 is standalone apps. Previously, Android Wear apps have been merely extensions of their cellphone counterparts, which made them gradual and restricted. Now, they’ll run on the watch alone, without having for a continuing connection to your cellphone. For instance, a Spotify app may allow you to obtain music on to the watch, with no enter out of your Nexus 6P in any respect.

In addition, LTE/4G data-connected watches – the LG Watch Urbane 2nd Edition, for example – will be capable of get on-line and use these apps even when there isn’t Wi-Fi obtainable.

I didn’t get the chance to see these apps at work, however Apple made an identical transfer with its second model of watchOS and it did handle to hurry all the things up no finish. I’m nonetheless not bought on the truth that we really need apps on our watches, but when they’re there then not less than they received’t be an absolute ache to make use of.

Handwriting recognition has been improved

Another function seemingly plucked straight from watchOS 2 is third-party issues. These helpful tidbits sit on the watch face and supply fast entry to sure performance – pausing your music or beginning a exercise, for instance. In some methods these show extra helpful than totally blown apps because you don’t should navigate the system to open an app; it simply sits there.

Google Fit has seen a much-needed replace, too, and it’ll now mechanically observe your exercises with out you having to do a factor. I’m a fan of this function on devoted health bands such because the Fitbit Alta, and it’s good to see it coming to Android Wear.

Apps may also be capable of use the Google Fit framework, so the Strava app may usher in particulars out of your Google Fit profile and vice-versa. Android Wear watches that include GPS are additionally ready to make use of it with out being tethered to a cellphone, once more serving to it turn into an all-round health system.

First have a look at the up to date launcher

Many of the opposite modifications are visible. The app menu is now akin to a rotary grid versus a listing, and the general color scheme is way darker; greens and blacks are actually simpler on the eyes. It’s far less complicated to change watch-faces too – wait, was this troublesome earlier than? – because it now requires only a swipe throughout as a substitute of getting to press down first.

Although the visible modifications are good, I didn’t actually have an enormous downside with what was there earlier than, and as such they haven’t instilled new pleasure about the way forward for Android Wear.

What I’m most irritated about, nonetheless, is that with Android Wear 2.0 Google has added a teeny-weeny keyboard for replying to messages. My coronary heart dropped a bit after I was demoed this, just because I don’t desire a keyboard on my watch.

The tiny keyboard

It immediately makes all the things extra sophisticated; app builders will no-doubt construct it into apps and my curiosity in smartwatches will start to say no.

I suppose I’ll have to save lots of my remaining judgement till I’ve used it extra totally, however the chap demoing it to me made quite a few typos in a brief area of time. Handwriting recognition is included, too, which makes a tad extra sense.

Android Wear 2.0: First Impressions

Having worn an Android Wear watch on and off because it was first launched, I’ve found quite a few points.

Some of those appear to have been addressed with model 2.0 – notably, not having to all the time be tied to a cellphone, and smarter watchfaces. However, I’d have slightly Google targeted on making the OS less complicated to make use of and offering the suitable type of info than including in a keyboard and rejigging the UI.

While it wasn’t confirmed, a Google rep stated it was making an attempt to deliver Android Wear 2.0 to as many earlier gadgets as potential, and we’ll know extra about compatibility within the run as much as launch later within the 12 months. There’s an early model obtainable now, however it would solely work with the Huawei Watch and LG Watch Urbane 2nd Edition.

For our preliminary Android Wear 1.0 evaluation, see under

What is Android Wear?

Android Wear is Google’s working system optimised for wearable tech and, particularly, smaller screens akin to those you discover on smartwatches.

Inspired by options already current within the smartphone and tablet-friendly model of Android, Google is pinning its hopes on Android Wear being the important thing to giving smartwatches actual enchantment.

The LG G Watch and the Samsung Gear Live are the primary Android Wear watches to go on sale, with the Moto 360 to observe later within the 12 months; Asus, too, is among the many firms rumoured to be leaping on the Android Wear bandwagon.

We’ve spent a great deal of time with the working system for our LG G Watch review and our first few days attending to know the Samsung Gear Live (evaluation coming quickly) and the core of Android Wear undoubtedly impresses, however it’s nonetheless a bit tough across the edges.

Android Wear: How does it work?

Android Wear is all about turning the likes of the G Watch and Gear Live into companion gadgets to your smartphone. It’s by no means going to switch your Samsung Galaxy S5 or Moto G however it does hope to provide the info you want in a discreet means and supply among the identical performance with out you having to achieve into your pocket each time.

It’s price declaring that Android Wear isn’t suitable with iPhones or Windows Phones and can solely work with Android telephones operating on Android 4.3 JellyBean upwards. That does imply it covers a broader vary of handsets than Samsung’s Tizen-based smartwatches, though these with Android telephones operating an earlier model of the working system have trigger to grouse. In distinction, Pebble smartwatches at the moment play good with each Android telephones and that iPhones.

Connecting the smartphone to smartwatch is finished over Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy so when you find yourself out of vary of your cellphone or sign drops, you’re left with very restricted performance. You received’t be capable of see the Google Now playing cards or notifications, however you need to use primary smartwatch options just like the stopwatch.

You have to obtain the Android Wear software to your cellphone to ascertain the connection between the 2 gadgets. It’s additionally the place to customise settings for notifications and browse suitable apps. Apps are constructed into the Google Play Store however so far as we will see they’re solely searchable by way of the Android Wear app.

Downloading apps is finished via the cellphone and will then seem on the smartwatch though that’s not all the time the case. Re-syncing apps to the smartwatch (which is finished by way of the Android Wear app) often does the trick however we struggled to get apps to look on the Gear Live. We really needed to laborious reset the watch to refresh the put in apps. This is without doubt one of the few teething issues in an in any other case hassle-free setup.

Android Wear: Design and Interface

While producers can put their very own spin on the {hardware}, Google has saved management over the look of Android Wear. There’s not the free-for-all you discover with totally different producers’ variations of Android. Google needs Android Wear to be constant.

It’s a glance that’s largely impressed by Google Now, the clever digital assistant that’s accessed on Android smartphones often by swiping left on the homescreens or doing the identical motion up from the house button. The identical clear, predominantly white UI has been adopted for Android Wear cutting down the scale of the data playing cards to raised swimsuit the smaller display screen.

Google Now all the time felt like an important match for a smartwatch and whenever you lastly see it in motion it’s simple to see why. It’s simplistic and something extra advanced merely would by no means have labored.

One of the areas the likes of Samsung and LG do have some management over is your alternative of watch faces and each supply a solution to customise the all the time on show. No doubt the Google Play retailer will quickly be effectively stocked with watch faces, and Google has since confirmed {that a} customized watch face API is on the best way. For now, the G Watch and Gear Live does provide you with some choices to get began. LG at the moment provides a greater choice to select from however each may gain advantage with some bolder, extra seen choices.

While Android for tablets and smartphones won’t be as simple to make use of as iOS, it’s entering into the suitable course. Disappointingly we will’t say that Android Wear offers an intuitive person expertise simply but. For starters, it’s important to dwell with no notification drop all the way down to rapidly entry settings or launch apps from homescreens. These choices are hidden away on the backside of Google Voice Search and in the event you don’t need to seek for them by voice, it might probably make navigating to seek out them a fidgety course of. It breaks the circulation of an in any other case slick working system and hopefully this can be addressed in later variations of Android Wear.

Android Wear: Google Now

Google Now is without doubt one of the key parts of how Android Wear works. It makes use of location and search knowledge to ship info that you simply’ll discover helpful for that exact second. That could possibly be plotting your journey residence, recommending locations close by to eat or discovering out the newest soccer scores. Google continues so as to add better performance together with options like parking detection and creating product reminders whenever you stroll previous a store. This ought to in principle all filter all the way down to Android Wear smartwatches.

At the second it doesn’t really feel like the total Google Now expertise. Weather updates have a everlasting spot on Android Wear whereas journey updates take a while to regulate to precisely pin level your commute. Calendar appointments come via firstly of the day so you may get a good suggestion of what you could have deliberate and we even obtained common updates on the cricket though they’re introduced as soccer scores for some odd cause.

There have been some playing cards we had chosen in Google Now that didn’t make an look just like the hyperlinks to information tales based mostly on latest search historical past or the locations close by playing cards. Google Now clearly nonetheless must take time to be taught concerning the info you really need or want however from what we’ve seen thus far it’s probably the most attention-grabbing function we’ve discovered, not simply in Android Wear, however throughout all smartwatches.

Android Wear: Google Voice Search

It doesn’t take very lengthy to grasp that Google’s Voice Search is a significant a part of the way you work together with Android Wear smartwatches. That’s proper. Prepare to undergo the awkwardness of chatting with your wrist and asking it if in case you have any conferences tomorrow or to launch Google Play Music.

In the case of the LG G Watch there’s no buttons and the Samsung Gear Live has a single button to show the watch on and off. You don’t have a keyboard though as ridiculous because it sounds, app builders are making them. You’ll want to talk to your watch to make notes, dictate emails and textual content messages.

To activate it on the G Watch and Samsung Gear Live you’ll be able to double faucet on the display screen or just say ‘OK Google’. Then you’ll be introduced with examples of instructions you’ll be able to ask your cellphone about.

It works in the identical means as Google Voice Search does in your cellphone so you’re free to ask just about something you’d usually go to Google for. Whether that’s one thing trivial or on the lookout for an tackle, Android Wear can deal with it.

One of probably the most attention-grabbing makes use of is navigation and the power for Android Wear to information you to a vacation spot. This could possibly be nice for cyclists for example who can’t attain into their pocket or somebody who is just misplaced and doesn’t need to stroll round with their cellphone consistently of their hand. Disappointingly, it doesn’t actually work. Relying in your cellphone’s GPS it takes an age to calculate routes and can inevitably drive you to return to your smartphone and use Google Maps within the standard means. Pebble’s OS works loads higher on this respect.

The Gear Live and LG G Watch have totally different microphone placements, however voice recognition is usually correct throughout each. As awkward as we really feel speaking to our tech in public, that is one a part of Android Wear that works very well.

Android Wear: Gesture controls

There’s no pinch, zoom or multi-touch to fret about, however when you find yourself not speaking to your Android Wear smartwatch there’s just a few gestures you could get accustomed to assist nevigate your means round. These gestures will work throughout Android Wear smartwatches so as soon as it, you’re good to go on any Wear system.

The first one to be taught is swiping down on the clock face to view the date, battery standing and mute or unmute notifications. You can swipe all the way down to scroll via screens which totally relies on what number of notifications or alerts have come via. Swiping proper on the display screen will dismiss alerts or swiping left will provide you with the choices to behave on the notification.

Considering the scale of the display screen, retaining these gestures all the way down to a minimal is sensible though it at the moment lacks a straightforward solution to leap again to the primary watch display screen, which might be a helpful addition.

Android Wear:  Notifications

The concept of receiving notifications has shaped a basic a part of what the primary technology of smartwatches just like the Pebble and the Samsung Gear are in a position to do. In Android Wear there’s what Google calls Bridged and Contextual notifications. Bridged notifications are the kind you discover popping up within the drop-down notification bar in your cellphone and the contextual notifications relate to Google Now updates. You may also see stacked notifications, just like the one within the image above, which may present a number of notifications from one software.

Android Wear received’t allow you to make calls and rightfully in order the very concept of getting a full blown dialog on a watch is simply ridiculous. You can see when calls and messages are coming via and might cope with these notifications on the smartwatch. It does imply utilizing voice search to do it, however it’s potential. What you are able to do with the notification totally relies on the character of it as effectively.

In most cases you’ll should swipe proper for the choice to ship it to cellphone however for emails and messages which will be expanded and skim on the watch it’s a function effectively suited to Android Wear watches. One subject you’ll encounter is that it’s all too simply to accidently swipe away a notification you haven’t had time to learn. It’s an identical state of affairs whenever you accidently ship an unfinished dictated message. Google wants some type of cease hole like flashing up a message that claims, ‘Are you sure?’ to forestall this.

Android Wear: Google Fit

Just as Apple launched its HealthKit platform paving the best way for its personal assault on the health wearables market, Google introduced Google Fit. The idea, very like HealthKit, is to unify all of the monitoring info from a number of health knowledge, whether or not that’s operating, biking or the rest sporty and finally take away the necessity to personal a separate devoted exercise tracker.

At the second Fit could be very primary and far of that has to do with the dearth of health or well being apps at the moment obtainable for Android Wear. Both the LG G Watch and the Samsung Gear Live have the movement sensor know-how to have the ability to observe steps whereas the Samsung moreover features a coronary heart charge monitor. All of that knowledge is saved and will be considered within the Fit software.

The concept of bringing all of this knowledge into one place and never having to fret about utilizing totally different apps to trace various things is a superb concept. However, in the meanwhile it’s far too primitive of a function to know if Google’s strategy works.

Android Wear: Apps

Bottom line, there’s not a whole lot of Android Wear apps. When you contemplate that Pebble smartwatch apps quantity within the 1000’s, Google has some catching as much as do. We’ve gone into extra element about what we product of the standard of apps in our LG G Watch review and whereas it’s a mixture bag there’s good number of excessive profile Android apps. Tinder, Runtastic, Philips Hue Control, Golfshot Golf GPS, Google Keep, Duolingo, The Guardian, American Airlines and Google Hangouts are among the many first batch to get the Android Wear therapy.
 
Getting app builders on board goes to be essential to make Google’s imaginative and prescient for Android Wear work. Similarly creating the suitable sort of performance in these apps that make sense on a smartwatch goes to be important to the success of the working system.

Verdict

It’s abundantly clear that though Android Wear is polished in some areas, it nonetheless wants refining. The interface seems to be nice however it must turn into intuitive and simpler to make use of straight out of the field. The lack of apps is an issue too, and leaves lots of the key Android Wear options largely untapped.

We’ve seen sufficient to counsel Android Wear offers probably the most compelling case that smartwatches may have a spot in our day-to-day lives. Google Now’s bite-size info actually impresses and might solely get higher. As a lot as we hate having to make use of voice search, which is by and huge the way you work together with Android Wear, it’s not less than correct and offers you what you want.

Much will relaxation on Google staying dedicated to serving to Android Wear evolve, identical to it has completed with the usual model of Android. It’s not nearly Google although. Hardware producers want to offer the working system a horny place to dwell and guarantee it has the ability and extra importantly the battery life to offer it the perfect likelihood of success.

Pebble’s OS stays probably the most established platform however Android Wear has all of the components to construct the smartwatch we are going to actually need to personal.