Android Wear 2.0 Announced

[PereDroid]

Google has officially taken the wraps off Android Wear 2.0. One of the most touted features is the ability to download apps onto the watch itself, and restrict apps from installing its Wear component (like the useless Amazon app). You can install these by accessing the new Wear Play store directly on the watch, or from the Play store on the web. One big advantage of this is that iPhone users can get a lot more functionality out of the AW 2.0 watches. You can now, as suspected, run Android Pay directly from the watch (if your watch has NFC).

The overall look has been upgraded to a more material design. There is now a swipe keyboard and you can use canned responses which, together with Google Assistant, can help with well timed canned replies. Leaving work? "I'll call you when I get home" may pop up. Changing watch faces has been simplified with just a simple swipe to change. Not that "Push + hold" was all that cumbersome. Faces can also be configured with 'complications' as Apple calls them, once the app developer builds in 2.0 compatibility.

Famed 'leaker' Evan Blass was right on the money with his leak of the new LG watches announced today. The $349 Sport and the $249 Style. As suspected, the Sport features everything: GPS, NFC, heart rate monitor and cellular connectivity. The cheaper Style, well... does not. The band on the Style is replaceable with any 18MM band, but not the Sport because the LTE antenna extends into the band.

Here is the list of watches slated to get 2.0:
-ASUS ZenWatch 2 & 3
-Casio Smart Outdoor Watch
-Casio PRO TREK Smart
-Fossil Q Founder
-Fossil Q Marshal
-Fossil Q Wander
-Huawei Watch
-LG Watch R
-LG Watch Urbane and 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
-TAG Heuer Connected

Source: Google

 

[PereDroid]

Ars has an insanely long review of AW and the new Sport Watch if you have the time.

Insanely long review

So... who's buying a new watch on the 10th when these are available? LTE versions at carrier stores, and the Style version will be at Best Buy,

 

[TxDoc]

Thanks for the information PereDroid

Sent from my XT1635-01 using Tapatalk

 

[Jonny Kansas]

I won't be buying a new one at this time.

Bummed they don't at least have a firm date for when the update will hit existing devices. Best I've seen is "in the coming weeks".

Sent from my Pixel XL

 

[mountainbikermark]

I won't be buying a new one at this time.

Bummed they don't at least have a firm date for when the update will hit existing devices. Best I've seen is "in the coming weeks".

Sent from my Pixel XL

Christmas is also "in the coming weeks".

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[Jonny Kansas]

What's sad is, I like the look of the watch that Verizon announced better than the LG models...

It's called Wear24.

Sent from my Pixel XL

 

[PereDroid]

Well I see why you're not on the news team, Jonny.
Very little known about Wear24. Has LTE and Water Resistance. Priced at $299 and, get this, includes a 2 year contract.

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[PereDroid]

More info on Wear24:

Verizon Wear24 is Big Red's own Android Wear 2.0 smartwatch with LTE connectivity

 

[Preach2k]

Will 2.0 come to Moto360 2nd gen?

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[Jonny Kansas]

Will 2.0 come to Moto360 2nd gen?

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

Yeah.

There's a list in the OP.

Pere, I'm gonna make your list a bulleted situation instead of comma separated.

Sent from my Pixel XL

 

[PereDroid]

Got it too. Have I mentioned how much I like the LG screen shot app?

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[mountainbikermark]

I feel like Android owners when Apple owners get giddy about a feature I've been using for 2 years.
I really hope 2 comes soon for everyone. It adds quite a bit of things that make it more than a butler.

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[Sajo]

I read an article this morning claiming that instead of saving Android Wear smart watches, AW 2.0 will be the death of Android watches. I don't agree with the article, but it was an interesting point of view.

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[PereDroid]

I read that article, too. I don't know if this is it's last gasp or not, but I am hope Android Pay works better then I've read it will. Supposedly slow on the Sport watch. That needs to be super quick.

 

[Preach2k]

I updated the Android Wear app on my Pixel XL, but when I checked for updates on my Moto 360 2nd Gen it says I'm current. Anyone get 2.0 installed on their 360 yet?

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