Google announced today at Google I/O that 4,000 apps have been developed for Android Wear in the year since its debut. With the rest of that growing library, the platform now features new, more powerful apps — Uber, Foursquare, and Citymapper, among others.
Android Wear becomes more powerful with Uber and Foursquare
Uber for Android Wear is probably the most impressive of those demonstrated onstage today. The app update allows to user to simply say “OK, Google, call me a car” and an Uber driver will be summoned to their location. Apps like Foursquare will provide glanceable updates about restaurant entrees, and Shazam will detect songs using the smartwatch’s internal microphone. Spotify has also joined, offering the ability to browse and stream music.
Much of what was presented we already knew about
Much of what Google presented onstage concerning Android Wear was already unveiled with the recent release of the LG Watch Urbane, but the functionality they demonstrated — emoji support and gesture control — drew applause. However, it’s clear that the company wants Wear to be viewed as a viable platform — especially with the Apple Watch now in the wild.
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