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Google announced Android 5.1 for their smartwatches running Android Wear late last month, but few devices ever saw the update. Bringing WiFi support and always-on apps, the update debuted on the LG Watch Urbane only to later rollout officially to the ASUS ZenWatch only last week. For everyone else, we were left scratching our heads as to when this update would be hitting our devices.
Today Google took to their Android Wear help forums to officially announce Android Wear 5.1.1 again, leading us to believe that the update is fixing to rollout for the rest of us. They also confirmed that only a few smartwatches will be receiving WiFi support, leaving out the LG G Watch R (sorry, guys). Here’s the devices receiving WiFi support:
- LG Watch Urbane
- Moto 360
- Sony Smartwatch 3
- Samsung Gear Live
Google says to make sure the update hits your Android Wear device, make sure you’re running the most up-to-date version of the Android Wear app on the Google Play Store. The rollout is said to be rolling out gradually over the next few weeks, but we’ve started seeing reports from both LG G Watch and LG G Watch R owners that the update is already hit their smartwatches.
Oh, and if you’re curious, check out the video below to see how those fancy new wrist gestures work.
We are about to get Watch fragmentation now… Sigh…
thats not fragmented, they still have 5.1 just not all of the functions. wear updates are controlled by google so no worries of fragmentation. it would only be limited by hardware.
“still have 5.1 just not all of the functions. …so no worries of fragmentation”
WiFi is a generally accepted major function, just new to the wearables. Don’t use Apple’s philosophy on it (i.e. it’s iOSX.X, just you can’t use Siri/Passbook/whatever ‘new’ thing they stuck in). Accept different builds and do your homework on who usually updates and who doesn’t.
But agree, in this phase, it is a H/W limitation.
android wear isnt open like android is, so you dont get updates from manufacturers specific to their devices. updates for wear come from google! wifi wasnt useful in android wear (still isnt) until 5.1.1 so no surprise early watches dont have the support
I updated the Android Wear app and now my 360 battery drains faster… I hope the update corrects this…
My sw3 is very hot and burning thru the battery very fast.I had to recharge it tonight and it’s already down to 75% in less then a hour.looks like it was facer causing my issue.
Gotcha… I have the SW3 as well and I haven’t had the issue with mine yet…
Mine is usually very good but for some reason today it’s using a lot of battery
Let’s hope these they settle down with the update…
Can’t wait for it
I wish there were a wrist movement so I could get my Moto 360 to tell me the time. (Whenever I look at it, I have to dismiss so many cards that it would have been quicker to pulll out my phone.)
Just turn the card preview option in the Android Wear app off and turn the “tilt to turn screen on” option on.
But half the time I actually /want/ the cards—they can be useful. Otherwise I’d just wear my wristwatch.
The cards are still there, they just don’t cover your watchface. You just swipe up to see them. That’s the first thing I did when I got the watch was turn off the annoying previews.
Don’t really know what else to tell you. Might have to wait for the next major Android Wear update or the 2nd gen 360.
Good thing I chose the Gear live over the G watch.
I wonder if you can have a quick wank and cause the watch to overheat :P
Depends on how quick is quick..5 minutes? 10..15..20??
My Zenwatch just got the update today to 5.1.1 and I like it a lot. Polishes the Wear interface a lot more
I’m waiting for the lawsuit filed for some idiot trying this while holding coffee like the video suggest. They’ll flick their wrist attached to the hand with the hot coffee, lol. Slow and then quiAaaaaauuuggghhh!