Google is now notifying developers of apps for smartwatches – especially those who make apps for Android Wear-powered devices – to update their apps so that they can be ready for Android Wear 2.0. The new version of the smartwatch software will most likely launch in February, and it will have a new feature – which is an on-watch Play Store.
An on-watch version of the Play Store will obviously allow Android Wear device users to install apps directly from their smartwatch devices. Google says that this is to help developers get their apps discovered by users. According to studies they made, users of Android Wear devices kept looking for a way to discover apps right on the watch itself. An on-watch Play Store helps users find apps right where they need them.
A slick new feature of Android Wear 2.0 – as evidenced in the developer previews – is the way that Android Wear now lets you control which apps you need on your watch, instead of just copying every app on your smartphone to your watch. That’s not intuitive to begin with, and now Google has finally found a way to fix this.
So if you’re a developer, this should be news for you and you should be looking to update your smartwatch app for Android Wear 2.0. If you’re a device owner, look for the update to arrive in a month or so.
SOURCE: +AdamOutler
