Google has just scratched the surface with Android Wear. In an interview with CNET, Director of Engineering for Android Wear David Singleton and Vice President of Engineering for Android Hiroshi Lockheimer shed some light on what is in store for its Android extension over the coming months.
Despite being relatively new and on only a few devices so far (although that should grow substantially this week), Google knows that it needs to continue to enhance the platform quickly to stay ahead of competitors. The first devices running Android Wear launched this summer and Google is now gearing up to release new features in a bid to make sure that it continues to differentiate itself from competitors such as Tizen and the looming launch of Apple’s own line of wearables. To do so, Singleton revealed that several updates will launch before the end of the year.
One of the new updates will focus on allowing Android Wear to communicate not only with your smartphone but other devices that you might wear. For example, it will soon be possible to pair a Bluetooth headset to your watch via Bluetooth.
GPS support is also coming to Android Wear. This will allow future devices to use GPS to offer features like recording a run or cycling trip.
Google will also open up watch face design to third parties with a new API. Developers will be able to design their own watchfaces and offer them through Google Play.
Lockheimer adds that the driving force behind these updates is to allow the growing number of devices we use to better talk to each other:
“I think the idea is, you look around and there are all these screens everywhere. These screens don’t know how to talk to each other. They are islands. So how do we unify them and have a common platform where apps and services and information can flow between these screens and give more utility to your life.”
Without providing too many specific timelines, Singleton indicated that several Android Wear updates will be released before the end of the year. The first, focused on improving the navigation experience and voice commands, will launch this week.
Source : CNET