As Android OS that's designed for wearable devices, Android
Wear integrates Google Now and mobile notifications to the wearable devices;
making the smartwatch as an extension of your smartphone. Its growth is quite
rapid, and now Google has been cooperating with many partners. However Google
realizes that Android Wear ecosystem still leaves room for improvement.
At the Google I/O 2016, Google officially unveils Android
Wear 2.0. The upgrading is of course accompanied by an assortment of updates,
but the updates are focused on three main categories: watch face, the
presentation of notifications, and also action system & Wear navigation.
On the watch face, Google introduces 'complications', a
feature to show information in addition to hours and minutes. The battery
indicator is one of complications examples. Via the API, the smartwatch can
deliver information that users want. For the general users, it means we are
freed to tamper with the watch face as we wish, and still get the data from
fitness app, messaging, and so forth.
About the chat app, the effectiveness of replying message on
smartwatch's small screen might still become a big question. However, the
procedure will be easier because Android Wear 2.0 offers more options: You can
take advantage of 'smart replies' that have been prepared, write answers
directly by hand, or use a virtual keyboard new design. Google tries to enhance
the handwriting detection capabilities, allow you to write in large letters on
minimalist display.
Changes in the notification itself are intended to allow
users to interact with the app easier. For example, in Gmail: the icon layout
and photo are modified so the identity will be easily recognized. In addition,
the text in the title and content is minimized so that it can be read without
cropping.
As part of the adoption of Material Design in Wear, this
second version adds interactive navigation and action drawer. The navigation
drawer is placed above the display, allowing the users to access a different view
in the app. Then the action drawer is positioned at below, provides specific
options to the users. Both are such that we used to see at the smartphone, they
can be used via a swipe.
The improvements in fitness feature are also important. The
Android Wear 2.0 is powered by Google Fit automatic activity detection, where
the device will track the body data soon when you are running. You can also
play music directly from the watch face, without the need to connect the
handset to smartwatch manually. Along with this announcement, the developers
are welcome to try out the preview version.