Android Wear 2.0 Brings Google Assistant AI To Smartwatch Sporting Wrists
Google ushers in the biggest update to Android Wear yet
Google’s Android Wear 2.0 had made its debut, bringing the Google Assistant, smart replies and the search company’s refreshed Material Design to smartwatches running the custom version of Android.
Android Wear 2.0 also ushers in a significant overhaul of the smartwatch operating system in the biggest update since it launched. This has included adding new features, simplified the design of the user interface and adding new ways for Android Wear smartwatches to act independently of Android smartphones and have more functionality when paired with an iPhone.
Android Wear 2.0
The Apple Watch has been the dominant player in the smartwatch scene thanks to solid design and appealing software in the form of watchOS, now in its third generation. Android Wear based smartwatches have not been so popular due to bugbears and usability issues with the software. Google has updated Android Wear to add nips and tucks to it, but the 2.0 version represents the search giant’s second bite at the cherry to make a compelling software platform for smartwatches.
By adding the artificial intelligence (AI) powered Google Assistant, the Mountain View company is really looking to boost the functionality of the smartwatches making use of its software, as the virtual assistant has a host of voice controlled abilities and can serve up smart information, something that would certainly help make smartwatches more appealing.
Google has also brought in its Smart Reply user interface which serves up intelligent replies based on the context of messages a user receives through services such as Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp.
A dose of refreshed Material Design for Android Wear 2.0 brings in Google’s mobile software design language to yield a cleaner, more functional but still visually appealing interface.
Google will be rolling out Android War 2.0 to compatible smartwatches in the coming weeks, which should prompt developers to look at how their apps work on the platform. It also appears to offer an opportunity for developers to tap into the potential to integrate their apps more closely with the native smart features of Android Wear 2.0, adding scope to create apps for both business and pleasure.
Android Wear 2.0 was debuted on two new smartwatches from LG; one designed for sport and the other for everyday wear. Both of the smartwatches sport a circular design with display as large as 1.38 inches, 4GB of storage and 768MB of RAM. The everyday LG Watch Style looks to be a smartwatch that has a tasteful appearance that should work on the wrists of office workers and tech enthusiasts alike.
