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Last week, a leaked email to developers urged them to get their Android Wear 2.0 updates ready by February, so it was pretty obvious that we would see the big update happen next month. So, when exactly is that going down?
Evan Blass suggests keeping an eye out on February 9th, which is pretty early, all things considered. We wouldn’t have been surprised if its launch was delayed until Mobile World Congress as that’s when we figure to see some of the first smartwatches with the goods out of the box.
Of course, there will be a long list of smartwatches getting upgraded to 2.0, so if you already have one then we’re hoping it won’t take much longer than February 9th for this to get to most of you (though we’ve seen in the past that delays can and will happen).
Android Wear 2.0 is set to bring us some big changes, the biggest of which being the addition of its own dedicated on-device Play Store. We imagine this will allow you to find Android Wear-specific apps on your wrist instead of having to peck through an already-packed Google Play.
This should lead to better app discovery for users, which in turn leads to more downloads for developers. It also enables independently-run apps, which means you won’t need your smartphone present for apps to retain their functionality.
Other incoming changes include expanded gesture support, improved pairing functionality, in-app purchases, and more. A developer preview of the new platform is currently undergoing testing, though we’d suggest waiting until the stable launch rolls out if you aren’t a developer looking to update your apps with propre support.
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