Google is advising developers that the launch of Android Wear 2.0, which was postponed late last year is coming in early February.
The announcement is being made to developers through emails, advising them to update their legacy apps to the new APK mechanisms for Android Wear 2.0 which will allow Android Wear apps to be discovered and installed on the new Android Wear 2.0 Play Store. Android Wear 2.0 will of course include an app store on the watch allowing you to install APKs for the watch directly without the need to install an app on the phone.
The launch of Android Wear 2.0 is expected to be heralded by the launch of two Google watches, which a Google product manager confirmed just prior to Christmas last year would be built by a current Android Wear partner.
If you own a Huawei Watch or LGE Watch Urbane 2nd Edition then you can try out the current developer preview which is currently up to version 4, although with a full release coming next month, there’s not much point jumping on the Beta wagon at this late stage. The full list of Android Wear watches to receive the Android Wear 2.0 update includes:
- Asus ZenWatch 2
- Asus ZenWatch 3
- Casio Smart Outdoor Watch
- Fossil Q Wander
- Fossil Q Marshal
- Fossil Q Founder
- Huawei Watch
- Huawei Watch Ladies (Jewel and Elegant)
- LG Watch Urbane 2nd Edition LTE
- LG Watch Urbane
- LG G Watch R
- Michael Kors Access Bradshaw Smartwatch
- Michael Kors Access Dylan Smartwatch
- Moto 360 Gen 2
- Moto 360 Sport
- Nixon Mission
- Polar M600
- Tag Heuer Connected
The full release should be announced officially by Google on their Keyword blog early next month.
I’m a little disappointed that my original Zenwatch won’t be getting the update.. but only a little.
My watch is doing everything I ask of it at the moment and I’m struggling to think of any extra functionality that I’m missing.
When the watch made by Google will on sale?
Your guess is as good as mine.