New Android Wear app update tips voice calls coming to Google watches
If you bought one of the few Android Wear watches with both a speaker and a microphone, it looks like you'll soon be able to take hands free calls from your wrist, just like Apple Watch owners can.
Version 1.4 of Android Wear appeared over the weekend in the Google Play Store notes Android Police, but it doesn't yet add the feature. Instead, it provides hints of what's coming next for Android Wear watches based on this change log:
- Ability to play sounds and take calls on watches with a speaker
- Support for sending WhatsApp, WeChat, Viber, Telegram, and Nextplus messages with your voice or via touch
- New gestures to control your watch with one hand
- Battery life improvements
- Language options for Mandarin, Cantonese, Indonesian, Polish, Dutch, and Thai
While all of the new features will be welcome, the first one is key. I find the ability to take incoming calls from an Apple Watch is a standout function; particularly when my iPhone isn't within reach.
Android Wear: What you need to know
There's no timetable on when to expect the calling features but I'd expect it before year end based on how often Google updates Android Wear software.
For now, however, you do get some nice extras in the the current update.
You can now enabled or disable the helpful tip cards in Android Wear and Google has updated the Privacy and Personal data settings screen. Android Wear users can link their devices to a friend's watch to send images, emoji and activity updates to each other as well. And tilting your watch offers the ability to share translated text.