Android Wear, the wearable platform from Google might seem dead with little enthusiasm among consumers and lacklustre support from OEM partners. However, the search giant is not yet done with its platform for wearables. In a Google+ post, the company has outlined its plans to push new updates to the ecosystem and has revealed future methods of distribution.
Hoi Lam, Moderator of Android Wear Developers, says new features can now be delivered directly via Play Store rather than offering it as an OTA update. With Android Wear 2.0, the updates can now be rolled out directly from Play Store when the Android Wear app on the watch is updated. "The aim is to publish more timely improvements between OTAs," Lam writes in his post.
Lam doesn't outline any major features coming to the platform in the interim future but he adds that Google recently pushed one upgrade through Play Store last week. The new features include third-party chat app support including WhatsApp in Contacts and reduced accidental entry into the watch face picker. The update also improves Play Store discoverability for new users among other features and bug fixes.
Google announced Android Wear as its competitor to Apple Watch and its watchOS platform. While it was supposed to challenge Apple with wider availability, the delayed launch of Android Wear 2.0 frustrated both consumers and Google's partners. The launch of smartwatches running Android Wear 2.0 has been limited with LG and Huawei being the only major smartphones makers also supporting the platform. The platform was expected to bring the standalone functionality of Android to the wrist.
Motorola and Asus have already announced their plans to stop developing Android Wear watches and last month, Verizon also announced that it is giving up on the wearable platform. Only saving grace so far has come in the form of traditional watchmakers like Tag Heuer, Fossil and Louis Vuitton launching Android Wear watches. Google is expected to announce Android Wear 3.0 next year but there are no details on what future updates would look like for the platform.