Google plans to update Android Wear watches early and often; first roadmap of features outlined
One of Google’s visions with Android Wear was to provide a platform that would allow everyone to get timely updates no matter which device they bought. They’ve gone as far as mandating a block on deep customization by OEMs, effectively eliminating the possibility of OEMs using custom skins that might hold updates back.
All of that is because Google obviously wants to grow the Android Wear platform fast in its infancy. Engineering director David Singleton spoke to CNet about future upgrade plans, noting that they want the updates to be both plentiful and fast. Going into detail, Google mentioned one of the first things they wanted to implement is support for GPS without the need to pair to an Android phone. This is certainly an important factor for the horde of smart watches with 3G radios we’ll eventually see.
Google also mentioned adding support for pairing a Bluetooth headset directly with a smart watch, so you can listen to tunes that are loaded up on the smart watch itself or from a streaming app. Rounding the list of things they want to do is an API for custom watch faces. For the more immediate future, Google says an incoming update this week will improve voice commands and the navigation experience.
Google didn’t go into grave detail about much else, though we’re sure they have many more features lined up to help push Android Wear to the next level in a few short months. Let us know what you’d eventually like to see in the comments below.