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Huawei Watch pre-order confirms Android Wear coming to iOS

Earlier reports that an Android Wear companion app for iPhones are looking good: Huawei says its new Google-powered watch will work with iOS 8.2 or better.
Written by Kevin Tofel, Contributor

Unless Amazon's pre-order page that Android Central found for the Huawei Watch is wrong, it's a safe bet that Android Wear software is coming to iOS.

As strange as it may sound, that would allow iPhone owners to choose smartwatches that are less expensive than the Apple Watch for their phone notifications and more.

Most Android Wear devices range in the $199 to $249 price range as compared to the $349 starting point for an Apple Watch sport. Huawei is seeking a premium, however. Amazon lists the base watch at $349.99 while a gold-plated stainless steel model costs $799.99.

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Amazon's product page for the Huawei Watch is pretty clearwhen it comes to smartphone support, saying the 1.4-inch round AMOLED watch is "[c]ompatible with most devices with an iOS 8.2 or Android 4.3 or later operating system."

While pre-order product details on Amazon aren't always accurate, there are two reasons I'm inclined to believe that the Android-powered watch will work with iOS; at least partially.

Reports of Google adding Android Wear support via an iOS app surfaced back in April, for one thing.

And remember Google Glass? Originally that was an Android-only experience but Google later added a version of the MyGlass companion app to iOS. I'm guessing since the name "Android Wear" wouldn't fly in the iTunes App Store, Google dubs it "MyWatch" or something similar.

There are many similarities between MyGlass and the Android Wear software needed to support Google-powered smartwatches on iPhones. Both use Bluetooth and/or Wi-Fi to push data between the devices such as notifications, incoming calls, email and more.

Does Google stand to gain much by adding Android Wear support to iOS?

I'm dubious. Most iPhone owners would likely opt for the full, native experience of an Apple Watch instead of a third-party companion app and non-Apple hardware. Still, some (like me) use both Android and iOS devices regularly so it would be appealing not to have to switch watches when switching phones.

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