Google is apparently working on iOS compatibility for Android Wear, allowing smartwatches running its wearable OS to compete directly with the upcoming Apple Watch. On the other hand, it isn’t clear if Apple will even allow it to interact with its eco-system.
The current build of Android Wear for iOS is apparently similar to the regular version, allowing basic push notifications; along with support for Google Now’s information cards and voice search. It is speculated that it will work with the advanced features in Google’s iOS apps as well, although that has not been confirmed.
Whether Apple would allow such a large competitor into its eco-system is still a question, one that Google itself is unable to answer. However, it should be pointed out that the Pebble smartwatch operates on both Android and iOS without any issues. On the other hand, Pebble first appeared long before the Apple Smartwatch was announced; and bringing up Android Wear for iOS may not help Google’s plans.
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There are already third party apps that allow Android Wear to functions on iOS, but those are not exactly widespread. That being said, getting Android Wear to work with iOS has been part of Google’s plan all along. Developers have discovered iOS related code in Android 4.4, which was suspected to be part of development to get Android Wear to work with Apple devices.
How this pans out is still unknown, although it is expected that Google will do its honest best to get Android Wear on as many platforms as it can. Apple may try to block the move, depending on how popular the Apple Watch is after it launches.
[Source: The Verge]
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