Google releases Android 8.0 for Wear and your watch probably won't get it!

[AlTech]

If you thought Google actually cared about Android wear then think again.

 

Google has released Android 8.0 for Android Wear and it's mostly focused on under the hood minor improvements.

 

And of course Google is still not addressing the biggest issue with Android Wear devices. They are woefully underpowered in both the SOC and RAM departments.

 

Quote

Remember Android Wear? Google's struggling smartwatch OS is getting updated to Android 8.0 Oreo, just like the rest of the Android lineup. Google announced the update on the "Android Wear Developers" Google Plus group. It seems like the only supported watch right now is the flagship LG Watch Sport, which makes sense since that was the only watch to get an Android O beta in the beginning of October.

Wear's last big update was Android Wear 2.0, which was released with the LG Watch Sport the beginning of the year. Most users won't notice the move to Oreo. Like Android TV, Android Wear has its own interface and set of features that are developed separately from the base OS version. This update to Oreo changes the under-the-hood OS, but the user-facing features will mostly remain unchanged.

 

And of course it should be no surprise to anyone not living under a rock that Android Wear is doing badly right now.

 

Quote

Android Wear has not been doing well in the market. In Q1 2017 the Apple Watch had 57 percent of the market, according to Strategy Analytics, with Samsung's Tizen OS in second place at 19 percent of the market, and Android Wear in third place at 18 percent. The group is probably undergoing a bit of a shakeup right now, as Android Wear VP of Engineering David Singleton recently left Google.

 

Oh and OEMs will roll out this update whenever they feel like it.

 

There's only a few Android Wear devices at the time of this article that has been updated.

 

Watches 8.0 for Wear:

• Fossil Q Venture
• LG Watch Sport
• Louis Vuitton Tambour
• Michael Kors Sofie
• Montblanc Summit

 

Oh and here's a list of Android Wear devices which will not be getting this update:

• LG G Watch
• Samsung Gear Live
• Moto 360 (2014)
• Sony Smartwatch 3
• Asus ZenWatch

 

Source:

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2017/12/android-wear-gets-updated-to-android-8-0-oreo/

[Bananasplit_00]

well i really like my LG Watch Style, its a pretty basic watch but battery life, screen and responsiveness have been beyond expectation seeing as i got it included with my G6. Just sucks it dosent have a heartrate monitor, would be fun to see what my heart does while playing games  

[potoooooooo]

Android wear is more of a flop than android TV somehow

[Matu20]

Smartwatches will die if a proper one doesn't surface soon enough.

[Commodus]

Meanwhile, the original Apple Watch can still run the latest version of watchOS despite there being huge improvements in performance in the two generations since.

 

I suspect this is more evidence of Google's core problem with Android: it has no clue how to foster Android on any device that isn't a phone.  Qualcomm's sluggish smartwatch CPU updates don't help, either.  And that cluelessness is dangerous, because Google is effectively ceding the smartwatch market (and tablets, and dedicated media hubs) to Apple.  The Apple Watch is pretty great, but Android phone users shouldn't have to settle for a bunch of mostly mediocre options simply because they don't want an iPhone.

 

I can't help but wonder if we're reaching a point of no return for Android Wear -- that is, where Google permanently misses the boat on wearables because it's too busy coasting on its smartphone success.  And that could actually hurt Android phone sales in the long run if you have to buy an iPhone to get a competent smartwatch.

[AlTech]

1 hour ago, Matu20 said:

Smartwatches will die if a proper one doesn't surface soon enough.

"Proper" ones have. The Fashion Industry seemingly has taken it upon themselves to save Android Wear . Over 1/3 of the upcoming new Android Wear Devices are by Fashion brands.

[AlTech]

8 minutes ago, Commodus said:

Meanwhile, the original Apple Watch can still run the latest version of watchOS despite there being huge improvements in performance in the two generations since.

I wouldn't count on the original watch getting WatchOS 5.0 .

 

Apple likely will kill support for the OG Apple watch next year.

[Matu20]

13 minutes ago, AluminiumTech said:

"Proper" ones have. The Fashion Industry seemingly has taken it upon themselves to save Android Wear . Over 1/3 of the upcoming new Android Wear Devices are by Fashion brands.

I used proper in the broadest sense possible, as in I don't even know what proper one is or will be. We just need something else, the current ones aren't what the public want.

[dizmo]

Wouldn't the processor and RAM be more manufacturer than Google? Kind of hard to bash them for others decisions. 

 

I think the issue here is that people simply aren't that into smart watches. Apple consumers will act the way they always do, and will adopt a new product because it's "in". They also do a significantly better job of marketing. I'd say Apple users are also more likely to spend money, so there's that as well. 

 

I don't think it's Google giving up. It's likely just listening to what the market is saying: we have no desire for Android smart watches. 

[AlTech]

Just now, dizmo said:

Wouldn't the processor and RAM be more manufacturer than Google? Kind of hard to bash them for others decisions. 

They could come up with Minimum and Recommended Specs. And they could pressure Qualcomm to make better Wear SOCs. The best Wear SOC from Qualcomm is about as powerful as a Snapdragon 200.

 

I could not for the life of me find minimum official specs for Android Wear.

 

Minimum Specs should be 512MB RAM + Snapdragon Wear 2100.

Recommend Specs should be 1GB RAM + Potential better Snapdragon Wear SOC.

Just now, dizmo said:

I think the issue here is that people simply aren't that into smart watches.

I've been wanting a smartwatch for a while but nobody is making anything worth buying imho.

 

1) Android Wear SOCs aren't good enough

2) Android Wear OS Support is somehow worse than Android OS Support

3) Most Android Wear devices are too expensive/overpriced.

4) Most of them have terrible battery life.

Just now, dizmo said:

I don't think it's Google giving up. It's likely just listening to what the market is saying: we have no desire for Android smart watches. 

I'd buy one if 1-3 were fixed (see above)

[Commodus]

19 minutes ago, AluminiumTech said:

I wouldn't count on the original watch getting WatchOS 5.0 .

 

Apple likely will kill support for the OG Apple watch next year.

Oh, probably.  It's just a much better experience than Android Wear.  Imagine if you bought a Moto 360 in  2015 and realized that your phone didn't even get two years of software support.  Would you be willing to get another Android watch again?  Even if Apple ditches its original models with watchOS 5, that's still over 3 years of support... kinda important for a device that you're probably going to keep for a few years.

[Commodus]

54 minutes ago, dizmo said:

Wouldn't the processor and RAM be more manufacturer than Google? Kind of hard to bash them for others decisions. 

 

I think the issue here is that people simply aren't that into smart watches. Apple consumers will act the way they always do, and will adopt a new product because it's "in". They also do a significantly better job of marketing. I'd say Apple users are also more likely to spend money, so there's that as well. 

 

I don't think it's Google giving up. It's likely just listening to what the market is saying: we have no desire for Android smart watches. 

Google plays a role as well.  Android Wear has generally lagged behind watchOS, and Google is notorious for doing little to help you discover non-phone apps (or to encourage developers to write those apps).

 

I do think people are into smartwatches, as evidenced by the rapid rise in Apple Watch sales.  It's just that there haven't been many compelling options on the Android side.  Google doesn't give Android Wear the attention it deserves; Qualcomm is peddling old hardware; and vendors tend to treat their smartwatches as side projects rather than the core products they must always be.

 

I also suspect that most Android vendors have a misguided focus.  They're so obsessed with making these devices look like conventional watches that they forget about the functionality of the watch itself.  Congratulations, it looks like a conventional sports watch... but it's half an inch thick, crucial information is cut off and the battery life is lousy.  I won't deny that Apple Watches look odd in some ways, but they succeed precisely because Apple isn't constrained by this obsession with familiar watch case designs.

[mynameisjuan]

Does this matter anymore? Not just android wear but IOS are both dead platforms. I see people with both watches all the time but have yet to see them use it other than their own phone. Ive tried both platforms and both are trash when it comes to increased productivity. I mean they are so bad that I would recommend...a.....*gags*...a fitbit....over both. god I cant believe I just said that. 

[PlayStation 2]

1 hour ago, AluminiumTech said:

I wouldn't count on the original watch getting WatchOS 5.0 .

 

Apple likely will kill support for the OG Apple watch next year.

As it is, that's still a better run than first-generation Android Wear watches.

[AlTech]

58 minutes ago, mynameisjuan said:

Does this matter anymore? Not just android wear but IOS are both dead platforms. I see people with both watches all the time but have yet to see them use it other than their own phone. Ive tried both platforms and both are trash when it comes to increased productivity. I mean they are so bad that I would recommend...a.....*gags*...a fitbit....over both. god I cant believe I just said that. 

Neither are necessarily designed for productivity.

[mynameisjuan]

1 minute ago, AluminiumTech said:

Neither are necessarily designed for productivity.

Isnt that the concept around a smart watch? While you are doing something else, you can quickly glance at your watch and respond or whatever and keep doing what you were doing. Thats what being productive is, more stuff in less time. Im not talking productivity like doing excel on your watch.

[Commodus]

1 hour ago, mynameisjuan said:

Does this matter anymore? Not just android wear but IOS are both dead platforms. I see people with both watches all the time but have yet to see them use it other than their own phone. Ive tried both platforms and both are trash when it comes to increased productivity. I mean they are so bad that I would recommend...a.....*gags*...a fitbit....over both. god I cant believe I just said that. 

Speak for yourself!  I could go without a smartwatch if I had to, but I've honestly found so many practical uses for my Apple Watch that I would be considerably worse off without it.  Examples of how I use mine:

 

- It's crucial for my fitness. I know how much progress I'm making, how many calories I'm burning (if just as a rough benchmark) and whether or not my heart rate is in an ideal zone.  It lets me time rest periods at the gym and turn-around points during runs.  And since it can store some of my music, it means I don't have to drag my phone around the gym just to listen to my own songs.

 

- It's genuinely helpful for keeping up to date on what's happening.  I get notifications for work email, and there are times when the alert on my wrist helped me catch an important message I'd have missed.  Yeah, you do have to remember to 'unplug' on your time off, but it beats the hell out of having to take your phone out of your pocket every time just in case it's something important.  This helps for personal messages, too... I've been coordinating get-togethers and reacted to sudden changes in plans that I might not have otherwise seen in time.

 

- There's lots of little things.  It helps me control my Hue lights.  It helps me set timers while cooking, and lets me quickly check the weather.  I've even dictated text messages.  Basically: I don't have to be within range of a smart speaker to get things done when I'm not holding my phone.

 

- Oh, and NFC payments.  Nothing feels quite so futuristic as paying for groceries with your wrist.  It's extremely fast... and I won't deny it, it's fun to get looks of surprise from cashiers who realize that you just paid without pulling anything out of your pocket.

 

Many of the people you see on the street are probably using their watches that way as well, you just don't see it because they're not in situations where the watch helps.  If I'm sitting on the bus, then yeah, you won't catch me looking at my watch because that's a prime opportunity to catch up on my phone.  Smartwatches are most helpful when you're on the move, and often what you're doing on a watch is so quick (several seconds or less) that people probably won't catch you using it.

 

[JaN0h4ck]

Actually, Google already announced which Smartwatches will get/already have the update:

Quote

Android Wear Oreo(8.0) update is already available in the following watches:

• Fossil Q Venture
• LG Watch Sport
• Louis Vuitton Tambour
• Michael Kors Sofie
• Montblanc Summit

Watches that are currently pursuing the Android Wear Oreo (8.0) update:

• Casio PRO TREK Smart WSD-F20
• Casio WSD-F10 Smart Outdoor Watch
• Diesel Full Guard
• Emporio Armani Connected
• Fossil Q Control
• Fossil Q Explorist
• Fossil Q Founder 2.0
• Fossil Q Marshal
• Fossil Q Wander
• Gc Connect
• Guess Connect
• Huawei Watch 2
• Hugo BOSS BOSS Touch
• LG Watch Style
• Michael Kors Access Bradshaw
• Michael Kors Access Dylan
• Michael Kors Access Grayson
• MIsfit Vapor
• Mobvoi Ticwatch S & E
• Movado Connect
• Nixon Mission
• Polar M600
• TAG Heuer Tag Connected Modular 45
• Tommy Hilfiger 24/7 You
• ZTE Quartz

Source: https://support.google.com/androidwear/thread/25693?hl=de

[Guest]

6 hours ago, Commodus said:

Meanwhile, the original Apple Watch can still run the latest version of watchOS despite there being huge improvements in performance in the two generations since.

 

I suspect this is more evidence of Google's core problem with Android: it has no clue how to foster Android on any device that isn't a phone.  Qualcomm's sluggish smartwatch CPU updates don't help, either.  And that cluelessness is dangerous, because Google is effectively ceding the smartwatch market (and tablets, and dedicated media hubs) to Apple.  The Apple Watch is pretty great, but Android phone users shouldn't have to settle for a bunch of mostly mediocre options simply because they don't want an iPhone.

 

I can't help but wonder if we're reaching a point of no return for Android Wear -- that is, where Google permanently misses the boat on wearables because it's too busy coasting on its smartphone success.  And that could actually hurt Android phone sales in the long run if you have to buy an iPhone to get a competent smartwatch.

I mean to be fair WatchOS is not iOS. It is fairly cut down. Its probably a result of people not upgrading their iWatch - I'm still on 1st gen because there isn't much point in upgrading for me (Not a bad thing. It works great and does all I need it to - and works every time as well).

 

 

[AlTech]

27 minutes ago, JaN0h4ck said:

Actually, Google already announced which Smartwatches will get/already have the update:

Source: https://support.google.com/androidwear/thread/25693?hl=de

almost all of those devices are either 2016 devices or 2017 devices. Not even 2015 watches seem to be getting this update.

[descendency]

7 hours ago, Matu20 said:

Smartwatches will die if a proper one doesn't surface soon enough.

To do what? Let me save 5 seconds from pulling my phone out of my pocket? 

 

They were a stupid idea long before they flopped. 

[Matu20]

2 minutes ago, descendency said:

To do what? Let me save 5 seconds from pulling my phone out of my pocket? 

 

They were a stupid idea long before they flopped. 

I don't know, that was my point, they need to do more than now, but I have no idea what. 

[JaN0h4ck]

9 hours ago, descendency said:

To do what? Let me save 5 seconds from pulling my phone out of my pocket? 

 

They were a stupid idea long before they flopped. 

Well they're pretty handy for fitness tracking and monitoring your sleep, because unlike your phone, a smartwatch can monitoring your heart rate and movement much better.

Other features that would be nice, but don't exist (yet), are things like authentication with your smartwatch on a smart-lock and pretty much all kinds of eletronic data processing (using the NFC on ur smartwatch time buy a drink drink from the vending machine at work or for monitoring your work time).

The problem is just that the smartwatch could be part of a huge eco system that simply doesn't exist (yet).

[Commodus]

15 hours ago, descendency said:

To do what? Let me save 5 seconds from pulling my phone out of my pocket? 

 

They were a stupid idea long before they flopped. 

Says the person who has clearly never used a smartwatch.

 

I should elaborate, I'm sorry.  Yes, in some cases it may save you several seconds.  But how often do you get notifications on your phone?  Several dozen, if not hundreds of times per day?  And how many times are you pulling out your phone just to check the weather or the current song?  All that adds up.  And that's not including things like fitness.

 

Smartwatches aren't necessities -- but they can actually save you a lot of time in the right circumstances.

[mynameisjuan]

18 hours ago, Commodus said:

- It's crucial for my fitness. I know how much progress I'm making, how many calories I'm burning (if just as a rough benchmark) and whether or not my heart rate is in an ideal zone.  It lets me time rest periods at the gym and turn-around points during runs.  And since it can store some of my music, it means I don't have to drag my phone around the gym just to listen to my own songs.

Thats why in my quote I recommended a fitbit. Can do all those features (but music) and better. 

 

18 hours ago, Commodus said:

- It's genuinely helpful for keeping up to date on what's happening.  I get notifications for work email, and there are times when the alert on my wrist helped me catch an important message I'd have missed.  Yeah, you do have to remember to 'unplug' on your time off, but it beats the hell out of having to take your phone out of your pocket every time just in case it's something important.  This helps for personal messages, too... I've been coordinating get-togethers and reacted to sudden changes in plans that I might not have otherwise seen in time.

What? Do you have your phone on silent? Taking a phone out of your pocket takes 2 seconds and honestly is faster than checking your watch then having to pull your phone out. You act like before smartwatches people are missing notifications left and right.

 

18 hours ago, Commodus said:

- There's lots of little things.  It helps me control my Hue lights.  It helps me set timers while cooking, and lets me quickly check the weather.  I've even dictated text messages.  Basically: I don't have to be within range of a smart speaker to get things done when I'm not holding my phone.

Yeah I have a google home for that. Easier and better recognition and when cooking dont have to worry about getting shit on my watch. 

18 hours ago, Commodus said:

- Oh, and NFC payments.  Nothing feels quite so futuristic as paying for groceries with your wrist.  It's extremely fast... and I won't deny it, it's fun to get looks of surprise from cashiers who realize that you just paid without pulling anything out of your pocket.

Only thing I love about smart watches. The fact that newer wear watches are ditching NFC taking literally 50% of my use for the watch away.