Not wanting to lose out to Apple’s huge announcement of the Apple Watch, there have also been talks about an upcoming update to Android Wear. It purportedly brings new features like Wi-Fi support, gesture controls and easier access to apps as well as contacts.
Most Android Wear watches that are available in the market now have a Snapdragon chip on board. This means that it has a Wi-Fi module built-in which is not being utilised at all. Some of the smartwatches that has a Qualcomm chipset on board include the LG G Watch, Samsung Gear S, Asus ZenWatch and the LG G Watch R. With Wi-Fi support on a smartwatch, it means that when Bluetooth connection is unavailable, the watch and the phone can still communicate via Wi-Fi.
Another feature that might be added into the update would be gesture control. This feature allows users to scroll through their Google Now notifications by just flicking their wrists. Not only that, the update will also allow for easier access to apps. Currently, the way to access apps on the watch is either through voice or by scrolling through multiple layer of menus.
The update will most likely be based on Android 5.1, but seeing that it has just been announced, it might take some time for the Android Wear update to make its way to user’s smartwatches.
[Source: The Verge via Android Police]
