Android Wear Will Receive Incremental Updates via Google Play Between OTA Updates
  • Posted byby Tim

Android Wear Will Receive Incremental Updates via Google Play Between OTA Updates

Announced via Google+ this week, the only place Android Wear news seems to be alive and well, the wearable platform from Google will receive incremental updates via official Android Wear app updates on Google Play, instead of all things being pushed through in an OTA.

Think of this like your Android phone. Not too long ago, Google broke down the OS and pushed apps (launchers, dialer, messages, etc.) to Google Play, allowing for more timely updates to take place. Now, folks can have updated features via apps, instead of needing to wait for a complete system update. It was a great move, one we’re still benefiting from to this day.

As for this Android Wear update, here’s the list of what’s new.

What’s New

  • 3rd party chat app support in Contacts
  • Reduce accidental entry into the watch face picker
  • Improve Play Store discoverability for new users
  • Other features and bug fixes

Be on the lookout for this Android Wear app update and subsequent updates, users.

Play Link

// +Hoi Lam

Written by

Tim

Stumbling upon Droid Life randomly after purchasing a Motorola DROID in late 2009, then setting out to learn everything he could about Android, Tim quickly became an integral part of the site's comment section. After quite some time of strictly commenting on Droid Life, Tim was offered an opportunity to write feature stories for the site, such as custom ROM overviews, as well as interviews with Android community members. Following success of those, Tim became a full time writer and editor for Droid Life, now spending his time on news articles, device reviews, producing videos, and much more. Tim currently resides in Portland, OR with his longtime girlfriend and two wonderful dog children (Loki & Thor). In his spare time, Tim enjoys playing guitar, drinking coffee, practicing photography, and destroying kids on Call of Duty.

Post navigation

18 Comments

  • My wife is going to be so excited that she won’t inadvertently change her watchface constantly. That’s been her biggest gripe since day one.

  • Still using my OG 360 on the daily! I have yet to see a watch I feel is a replacement at this point in time. I feel like most OEMs have pretty much given up or make half a$$ed attempts. Even Huawei’s second attempt feels like a step back from their first watch. Sigh…

  • Hopin and a’prayin for a Moto 360 Gen 3 one day.

    I used my Moto 360 daily. It’s most useful when riding on my motorcycle as I can get navigation alerts right to my wrist when I’m randomly riding around exploring roads I haven’t been down before.

    So glad the new update came out a while ago, AW 2.0 COMPLETELY transformed my Moto 360 Gen 2 from a ‘eh, almost POS’ device to a ‘wow, this thing flies and is actually useful’ device.

  • I still love my ASUS ZenWatch 3. But, I think the key is that way back on my OG Moto 360 I started using “Wear Mini Launcher”. It is the “Nova Launcher” for Android Wear. It makes launching and using apps easier and more intuitive and is what Android Wear should have been from the start.

  • sadly Android Wear is probably the most niche thing that Google’s ever done in the android space at current (or at least one of the most niche things that’s still in active support)
    Personally I still use my Moto 360 2nd Gen most days of the week (I have several ‘real’ watches that are rather spiffy and expensive so I do try to cycle those in too lol) and for me, since it fits into my day and workflow it helps me quickly glance and see if I need to address a phone alert or not faster and more efficient than if I was pulling my phone out, or leaving it lying in view everywhere and lacking a dash-nav unit if I forget a phone mount it’s nice when using google maps to navigate somewhere to be able to glance at my wrist to see how fast the next turn is coming up etc…
    Basically kind what I’ve always said about Android Wear watches, they’re not for everyone, but if they fit your particular need or case use, they’re fantastic and you miss it when you’re not wearing it.

      • If it’s released under the Pixel name then it’ll come with a premium pricetag and if that happens then they’ll have to hit a home run immediately. This’ll be the one device where they’re not gonna be given a second chance because of Android Wear’s (deserved) track record.
        If it’s released as a “Google” branded watch (a lá Home, Wi-Fi, Mini, Max, etc…) then they’ll STILL have to hit a homerun the first time out but they won’t have to put the premium price on it.
        I’m rooting for it but Google’s painted themselves into a corner of they decide to build their own watch now.

  • Android Wear just might be the most irrelevant thing in Google’s portfolio at the moment.

    Stick a fork in it already.

    • That would be Android TV. Android Wear at least has more than one device that’s still supported (and periodically gets new ones).

  • Just a point of clarification: This update doesn’t appear to update the OS, just the apps therein, correct?

    • AW 2.0 COMPLETELY transformed my Moto 360 Gen 2 from a ‘eh, almost POS’ device to a ‘wow, this thing flies and is actually useful’ device.

      Hopin and a’prayin for a Moto 360 Gen 3 one day.

Comments are closed.

back to top