Android Wear can now add new features through Google Play Store, no longer reliant on full OTA updates

When news broke that Google had completely removed Android Wear devices (i.e., smartwatches not actually made by them) from the Google Store, some felt this spelled the end for the wearable platform. Well, that may not entirely be the case…

While Android Wear 2.0 hasn’t quite had the warm reception Google had hoped, they could have a plan on keeping the wearable OS alive. One of the ways is with more timely updates. Google’s “Wearables Developer Advocate” Hoi Lam revealed on Google+ that Android Wear 2.0 now has the ability to add new features directly through the Google Play Store — no OTA update required.

This will give Google the ability to continually add new features without the need for a full OTA system update, speeding up the process in delivering new features to users. In fact, the latest update — which started rolling out last week — is doing just that, adding new features and squashing a few bugs in the process. Here’s what’s new:

• 3rd party chat app support in Contacts
• Reduce accidental entry into the watch face picker
• Improve Play Store discoverability for new users
• Other features and bug fixes

If you haven’t, make sure you update the Android Wear app in the Google Play Store to check out these new features and bug fixes. If you’re in the market for a new smartwatch, you can find the entire Android Wear lineup over on Amazon linked below.