Since its launch just one year ago, Android Wear has gone through some drastic transformations. The next Android Wear update is expected to continue this trend.
The publication Phandroid, citing some still unconfirmed documentation, reports that in an update coming next month Android Wear will feature new interactive watch faces. The new feature will allow custom action when users tap on the screen, in a somehow similar way with Force Touch feature from Apple.
On a weather watch face, for example, users of Android Wear could be able to toggle between precipitations and temperature view. When tapping on a fitness themed watch face, it could launch an exercise mode. Tapping on a more basic clock face could allow users to simply switch between patterns and colors.
This will mark a big change in the way users navigate the interface of the Android Wear, if Phandroid's report is accurate. In the first version of Android Wear, tapping on any watch face brought up a prompt for voice command. After Google's previous update, swiping left or tapping brought users to a new menu, giving access to contacts and the app launcher. The next update is expected to associate custom watch face actions with tapping. A sideways swipe will still have the same function to bring up the launcher.
This new approach of Google Android Wear can still restore faster access to voice commands, in case that users would want that. In case that a user would miss tapping once for voice commands a watch face offering a voice shortcut as custom action could be downloaded.
The same Phandroid's report states that Google is also working to develop watch-to-watch communications. This new feature will allow users to share their sketches or heart rates. All this sounds very similar to the Digital Force Touch feature on Apple Watch, but in case of Google Android Wear it may require a particular watch face. These rumors are yet to be confirmed so it's better to not take them as certain.
Since its launch last year, as Android Wear has struggle tomake a great impact on the market and gain traction, Google has made a lot of tweaks to its software formula. One of the big areas of focus for Google has been speeding up the interaction process, whether it's through information on the always on display, through quick access to contacts, or through gesture-based scrolling. In this context, custom watch faces may give users quick access to apps and information, being just another step in that direction of speeding up interaction.
