Android Wear is to wearables like smartwatches, as Android is to smartphones -- it underpins both form and functionality. Google has announced Android Wear 2.0 that makes this operating system competitive again.
Android Wear 1.0 released in June 2014 was a good start as a counter to Samsung’s well-oiled Tizen OS and Apple’s Watch 1.0. It gave device makers like Asus, HTC, Huawei, LG, Moto and more the smarts to power watches - an open system. But critics said that it was pretty “ho-hum” compared to Tizen and Apple and the smartwatch category has rapidly declined while the fitness band category has rapidly ascended. iTWire has the back story here.
In fact, Android Wear 2.0 has been so long in gestation that many of the brands decided to put new models on hold until (a) the smart watch category picked up and (b) it matched the functionality of the other OS.
Well, version 2.0 is here and the first watches are the LG Watch Style and Sport.
If you have any of the following look for updates too, albeit that some will not have full 2.0 functionality. ASUS ZenWatch 2 & 3, Casio Smart Outdoor Watch, Casio PRO TREK Smart, Fossil Q Founder, Fossil Q Marshal, Fossil Q Wander, Huawei Watch, LG G Watch R, LG Watch Urbane & 2nd Edition LTE, Michael Kors Access Smartwatches, Moto 360 2nd Gen, Moto 360 for Women, Moto 360 Sport, New Balance RunIQ, Nixon Mission, Polar M600 and TAG Heuer Connected.
{loadposition ray}
What is different
In summary, it is mainly about having its own App store, running native apps on the watch and adding cellular support but from what I have read it is now a match for other OS and still the only open OS. The long-outclassed Google Fit app gets an update too.
- Revamped UI with Material Design, darker colours, and a more circular user interface for round watches.
- Standalone apps with Google Play Store on watch
- Complications for watch faces
- Build in keyboard
- Handwriting recognition
- Stackable notifications
- Smarter notifications
- Cellular Support
Why are smartwatches not the hottest thing?
Analysts predicted everyone would be wearing one once Apple legitimised the category with its Watch. Wrong … IDC recently reported that smart watches sales were down 51.6% year over year and Apple lost 71% of market share – that is a big drop.
There are several reasons that true smart watches are not selling well.
- If smart watches are the answer what was the question? Analysts can see that fitness bands solve a well-defined problem but paying good money for a device that needs a daily recharge to essentially tell the time and receive some notifications as an limited extensiuon of the smartphone – no way.
- Cost – most start at A$400 and go up exponentially to A$1549 for Apple’s Space Black stainless steel case and link bracelet (there are other bespoke models such as the Hermes co-branded costing up to A$2189). Various consumer research shows that the price sweet spot is well below that.
- Apps – most are simply extensions of the smartphone requiring it near to enable all features. At present Samsung’s Gear S3 is one of the few that can act independently and use Wi-Fi to remote link to the smartphone.
- Charging – no matter what any smartphone maker claims these need recharging daily – more if battery sapping GPS is used
- Few are water resistant and even fewer allow salt water or swim use (unlike most electronic watches that are waterproof).
- A small screen is well, too small, to do anything more meaningful that swipe notifications. Again, Samsung’s Gear S2 and S3 led the way with a rotating bezel that added considerable functionality and usability.
- Crossovers – that is smart watches with some fitness capabilities are doing poorly compared to fitness bands with some smartwatch capabilities – the wearables driver is health and fitness as evidenced by Fitbit, Garmin and Samsung Gear Fit 2 selling well. And fitness bands are in the price sweet spot as well as being more durable.
I have lived with an Apple Watch and it is, to be polite, underwhelming. I have reviewed many Android Wear watches and version 1.0 did not do it for me. These have been relegated to the sock drawer (a euphemism for a useless product)!
My daily use is Samsung’s Gear Fit 2 (review here) with S Health that at $289 (astute buyers will find it for less) fills all my health monitoring needs. Prior to that was the excellent Microsoft Band 2 that mysteriously disappeared from sale in October 2016. It’s Microsoft Health app was brilliant – far ahead of every other but recent improvements to Samsung’s S Health (it is now up to version 5.4.1 in just over a year) make it the serious contender.
I also have on loan a Samsung S3 (review here) that does everything and much more than the Gear Fit 2 and also uses the S Health App. But at A$599 (again astute buyers can get it for under $500) it only really adds Wi-Fi connection and it is a much bigger device, so it is useful to make and take phone calls.
Google has a video below and yes, it is heading in the right direction.