Google is not sitting idle (and it can’t afford to, honestly) after the big announcement coming in from Apple’s side during the spring forward event , along with the latest updates on device support, which are pretty impressive. Android Wear’s next update will carry features that were expected, and some features that were not.
A report on The Verge now suggests, that the hardware on the Wear that can now support WiFi, meaning that notifications will still be available if Bluetooth isn’t, along with Google Now.
Out of the two additional updates, one happens to be gesture control- wearers can flick their wrists and scroll through notifications and Google Now cards, as opposed to swiping the screen with the other hand. As of now, finding applications on the device isn’t very smooth, users have to either speak out commands or delve into a host of menus.
That should change as the second update means that the UI will get a little refinement, although those details are not known. The previous update had brought in some genuinely useful features- like being able to check what apps are draining the battery, settings for muting and a quick settings menu. And some fun features- like 30 downloadable watch faces on Google Play (Porsche had designed its own watch face). All the six Android devices, along with their respectively varying round and square designs have ranges for the faces.
The smartwatch market happens to be pretty niche right now, and the market parameters are not very well mapped. With the two biggies-Google and Apple coming out to battle, armed with features that set both of them apart, it won’t remain that way for long.
