Android Wear: Everything you need to know

Android Wear

Android Wear was first announced on March 18, 2014, with partnerships with multiple smartphone and watch manufacturers. LG and Motorola were the first to join the party and talk about their own smartwatches, the G Watch and the Moto 360, respectively. The full Android Wear SDK was made available to developers on June 25, at Google I/O, following which the LG G Watch and a new entrant, the Samsung Gear Live, were released and made available for purchase on the Play Store. The Moto 360, the first round smartwatch with Android Wear, is expected to be released later during the summer.

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Misfit Vapor X with Wear OS, Snapdragon 3100 Launched at $279

Misfit Vapor X with Wear OS, Snapdragon 3100 Launched at $279
Posted by Mahit Huilgol on Aug 14, 2019

WearOS seems to be catching up. Recently Fossil launched their Wear OS-powered watch and now Misfit has launched Vapor X. The latest from Misfit is powered by Qualcomm chipset and features a sleek design.

Google Releases First Developer Preview of Wear OS

Google Releases First Developer Preview of Wear OS
Posted by Evan Selleck on Mar 28, 2018

March has been busy for Google. At the beginning of the month the company launched the first Developer Preview for Android P, and then, a couple of weeks ago, rebranded Android War to Wear OS.

Google is Rebranding Android Wear to Wear OS

Google is Rebranding Android Wear to Wear OS
Posted by Evan Selleck on Mar 15, 2018

It was rumored recently that Google was planning on rebranding its Android Wear platform, the software used to run smartwatches.

Android Wear Could Be Possibly Renamed to ‘WearOS’

Android Wear Could Be Possibly Renamed to ‘WearOS’
Posted by Rajesh Pandey on Mar 13, 2018

Google has not really paid much attention to Android Wear. The company does roll out some minor updates to the platform with some enhancements every once in a while, but Google has completely avoided fixing the bigger issues with it. Now, it looks like Google is preparing to rebrand Android Wear to Wear OS.

Android Wear 2.9 Will Introduce New Unread Notification Indicator

Android Wear 2.9 Will Introduce New Unread Notification Indicator
Posted by Rajesh Pandey on Jan 26, 2018

Google has not really given much love to Android Wear. The platform has received some minor updates from time to time, with the last major update to the platform being Android Wear 2.0 released in Q1 2017. Since then, Google has used the Android Wear app to roll out minor updates to all Android Wear smartwatches out there. 

Android Wear 2.8 Brings Darker Background and Improved Notification Glanceability

Android Wear 2.8 Brings Darker Background and Improved Notification Glanceability
Posted by Rajesh Pandey on Jan 20, 2018

Google has started rolling out the Android Wear 2.8 update for all compatible smartwatches. The new update brings a darker background for the UI for improved readability and improves notification glanceability with a new layout.

Google Tweaks Play Store Policy to Promote Standalone Android Wear Apps

Google Tweaks Play Store Policy to Promote Standalone Android Wear Apps
Posted by Rajesh Pandey on Sep 01, 2017

Google has tweaked its Google Play policies to help promote standalone Android Wear apps. The policy changes see Google bringing multi-APK support for Android Wear 1.0 running smartwatches.

How to Sideload and Install Android Wear 2.0 Update on Asus ZenWatch 3

How to Sideload and Install Android Wear 2.0 Update on Asus ZenWatch 3
Posted by Rajesh Pandey on Jul 13, 2017

After months of delay and missing numerous deadlines, Asus has finally gotten around to releasing the Android Wear 2.0 update for the ZenWatch 3. The OTA seems to be rolling out in batches which means it is not available for all ZenWatch 3 owners out there right away.

Ticwatch 2 Powered by Android Wear Is Back on Kickstarter for $99

Ticwatch 2 Powered by Android Wear Is Back on Kickstarter for $99
Posted by Rajesh Pandey on Jul 12, 2017

While major smartphones OEMs might be pulling out of the Android Wear market, new entrants are jumping on the smartphone bandwagon. Mobvoi, a Chinese-based AI company backed by Google and Volkswagen, today announced its latest lineup of Tic smartwatches running Android Wear 2.0: Ticwatch E and Ticwatch S.

Louis Vuitton’s Tambour Horizon Is a $2900 Android Wear Smartwatch

Louis Vuitton’s Tambour Horizon Is a $2900 Android Wear Smartwatch
Posted by Chethan Rao on Jul 11, 2017

Louis Vuitton has partnered with Google and Qualcomm to come up with a super expensive Android Wear smartwatch, known as Tambour Horizon. The wearable will set you back by around $2,900 if you’re getting the top-end variant.