We are still to hear about Android Wear 2.0 after Google announced some months together with what became Android Nougat, what we have only heard of is a preview of the second Wear 2.0 developer that was built in July. This can only mean two things, one side of it is that Google, intends to release developer preview Wear 2.0 and will add some features as well as tweaks. What we don’t like about this is that there is a delay in the releasing of the developer.
The release date for Wear 2.0 has been moved several times from an obscure window exactly when we do not know in 2017. According to Google, this will enable them to tweak and test the product. For this reason, Google intends to make available another developer preview which is the fourth one while the 2.0 after an update will be made available to supported watches.
The newest thing that Google is bringing to the Developer Preview 4 of Android Wear is a version of the watch that would be available in Google play which has the ability to download as well as browse watch faces and watch apps without the help of a phone. This is coming from a request made by developers asking Google to make watch apps that are not difficult to find. It is still challenging to make use of text entry in the watch hardware which usually makes things slow, but this step may be worth it if after the process watch can work without needing the help of phones.
The store that has watch-exclusive as an app will help developers to create different watch apps that do not need phone apps to work. Before now, Wear apps have been available in applications for standard phones-once a phone app is downloaded, the wearable app automatically will be downloaded to work with the watch. This is still applicable, but this would not be necessary for Wear 2.0.
Other tweaks that can be found in the new preview build will include request permission for complications of the watch, known as “recycler view” which will allow developers make available items in a vertical list that will appear well in round as well as square watch faces which is what the Wear 2.0 picker app makes use of. There will also be in-line actions meant for notifications that are new which before now would require that a user swipes down the notification bar to access the options.
The option to have the new watch with Wear 2.0 is entirely a decision for the manufacturers to take in a way. Huawei Watch and LGE Watch Urbane 2nd Edition, for now, are the only devices that can be used to test these new preview builds, however, devices like LG G Watch and Wear watches as well as Moto 360 will not be included.
