The first smartwatches to take advantage of the latest version of Android Wear are not yet expected to be released in Australia.
LG Australia has confirmed to The Australian and Ausdroid that there are currently no plans to release the new Watch Style and Watch Sport. The two smartwatches, which were designed in collaboration with Google, will be available this week in the US, and will become available in at least eight other countries in the future.
Google launched Android Wear 2.0 simultaneously with the new smartwatches from LG. The new operating system offers a number of significant improvements on the previous version, with support for Google Assistant previously found on Pixel smartphones and Google Home.
“While traditional watches tell the time, Android Wear watches make the most of your time,” said David Singleton, Android Wear’s VP of Engineering, in a blog post.
“In an instant, you can check when and where you’re meeting a friend, whether you’ll need an umbrella tonight, or how many minutes you’ve been active today-all without reaching for your phone.”
Other new features include more functional and personalisable watch faces, the ability to download apps through a new on-watch Google Play Store and fitness tracking with the Google Fit app.
A number of existing smartwatches will also receive an update to Android Wear 2.0. These include:
ASUS ZenWatch 2 & 3
Casio Smart Outdoor Watch
Casio PRO TREK Smart
Fossil Q Founder
Fossil Q Marshal
Fossil Q Wander
Huawei Watch
LG Watch R
LG Watch Urbane & 2nd Edition LTE
Michael Kors Access Smartwatches
Moto 360 2nd Gen
Moto 360 for Women
Moto 360 Sport
New Balance RunIQ
Nixon Mission
Polar M600
TAG Heuer Connected
LG Australia has been contacted for comment.
