Google Wear OS hands-on at Google I/O 2018
Here at Google I/O 2018, all eyes were placed squarely on Google's recent efforts with its mobile platform, Android P. In other areas outside of its smartphone operating system, its smartwatch platform got very little attention during its keynote, but the latest build was shown off in detail at a smaller event on Day 2. We managed to spend a little bit of time checking out Google's Wear OS, previously Android Wear. The name switch seemingly happened because the smartwatch platform isn't exclusive to Android anymore, as many iOS users have adopted it – so the name change was necessary.
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Most of the new features with Wear OS are merely tweaks to enhance the overall experience, much like how notifications feature larger fonts to increase the readability on the screen at a glance, or how there's now the touch lock function that disables the touchscreen while using certain workout apps, and other intelligent actions based on contextual commands.
Beyond those aspects, it's tough to gauge whether or not Wear OS has enough gas in the tank to really make a significant impact in the smartwatch industry – one that's largely dominated by the Apple Watch. While Google Assistant's deeper integration is a welcomed addition to the platform, we're more eager to know whether or not the platform can provide a diversified portfolio of apps support. Even though there were several smartwatches on hand to check out, they all only offered the core native apps of the platform. However, we're curious to know if Wear OS can match Apple's watchOS in terms of its apps support.
Sure, it's cool and convenient to control certain smart devices through your smartwatch, but what about being able to check out your Facebook or Instagram feeds, instead of having to rely on your smartphone. Or how about being able to fetch a Lyft or Uber ride directly through your smartwatch? There's no denying that Google is putting some serious effort in deepening the experience with Wear OS, but we're crossing our fingers that it'll continue to provide that condensed smartphone experience through smartwatches.