Skip to main content

Apple Watch Vs. Android Wear

Apple Watch Competition: Android Wear Still Kicking


You might be forgiven for thinking that the Apple Watch is the only smartwatch worth buying. But watches running Android Wear are alive, kicking, and getting better.
With the Apple Watch seeing better-than-expected sales and tons of media exposure, Google is trying to keep pace with upgrades for Android Wear, which powers watches from Motorola, LG, Sony, and others.
The most recent May update adds apps that are always on, they remain visible even when you drop your arm. The update also features quick access to apps by swiping, a new flick-of-the-wrist gesture to scroll between cards (snippets of information), as well as the ability to draw emojis as responses. There are also new heads-up notifications, like text messages that appear on screen even if you’re looking at something else.
The LG Watch Urbane ($350) was the first to get the update, while the Motorola Moto 360 ($250) is getting the update now. Both the LG Watch Urbane and the Moto 360 have been praised for their elegant round designs compared to the rectangular Apple Watch.
The Urbane is the Android Wear watch of the moment, though, because it’s new and boasts a classic fully-round look replete with a gorgeous OLED display. Also, thanks to an Android Wear update, it allows you to connect, via Wi-Fi, to your phone remotely. Theoretically, you can be very remote, but note that being too remote can be problematic in the “real world.”
The Apple Watch’s Wi-Fi, on the other hand, only works when connected to the same Wi-Fi network as the iPhone.
What else sets Android Wear apart from the Apple Watch experience? Android watches are more aware of what you’re doing at any given moment (thanks to Google’s cloud services) than Apple’s offering and Android Wear is more aggressive at trying to predict what you need based on your Google searches, Gmail, and calendar.
“Android Wear does have the edge over Apple Watch when it comes to context,” Ramon Llamas, research manager of wearables and mobile phones at market researcher IDC.
“Understanding context is a function of how both Google Now and [Apple’s] Siri are set up. Siri is very good at ‘fetch and bring back to me’ while Google Now will provide just about everything under the sun, but also serves up information proactively before you need it,” he added.
Llamas wrote that Siri is getting an upgrade this year, and that users should “expect an improved contextual experience” that could come to the Apple Watch eventually.
But there can also be a downside to Google Wear’s contextual awareness. Some reviews point out that too much information can come in randomly, ultimately marring the user experience.
As for other areas where Android Wear excels, Llamas wrote that Android has more watch faces, lower price points, different watch styles.
“Let’s not forget the 4000 apps,” he added. “In short, right now you get more choice with Android Wear. With Apple, you get what Apple offers and controls … there are pluses and minuses to both.”

Stay connected for more latest updates...

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Apple Drone

Here's what an Apple drone might look like Many major tech companies are eyeing drones — Amazon, Google and even Facebook. It's unclear at this point whether Apple wants in, too, but one designer has envisioned what the company's version of a drone might look like if it ever launched one. German designer Eric Huisman mocked up a sleek drone concept called the  Apple Quadcopter , which has a minimalistic black-and-white design. It's very, well,  Apple . In a series of photos posted to his  website , which are stylized to look like Apple's traditional promotional pictures, the company's iconic logo sits in the middle of a slightly curved body, an element that Huisman says will support its many built-in cameras. Similar to a typical quadcopter, the Apple drone has four rotors and four cameras that can shoot still and panoramic photos (up to 100MP). The concept, which was first spotted by  CNET , also incorporates 4K video functionality and built-...
Post a Comment
Read more

Apple Car

Could This Be The Apple Car? There’s been plenty written about the potential Apple car. Now, though, we have an interesting guess as to what it might look like when it hits the road. This version is quintessentially Apple with smooth lines, tons of technology, and that iconic Apple logo prominently featured. These Apple car concepts were drawn up by  CarWow ,and they include both interior and exterior design possibilities. It starts by taking a cue from Tesla with an absentee grille and flowing, aerodynamic lines that look a bit like the Magic Mouse. Colors are white, black, and gold in a nod to the newest iPhones with carbon-fiber reinforced plastics that include a coating to keep dirt from marring that perfect finish. The wheels are designed to cut drag and look good. The interior is where it suddenly looks like no other car. There’s a fingerprint-reading home button on the driver and passenger front doors and it’s all unlocked from the outside with a left to rig...
Post a Comment
Read more

Cool Down

Cool Down Your Android Phone With a Tap An overheating phone is bad news for your battery life, your palms and the internal components inside your device. Fortunately, there's an Android app that can help, shutting down some non-essential system tasks and background processes to give your handset the chance to cool off. You can choose from a one-tap quick fix or a more detailed manual mode. The app in question is  EaseUS Coolphone  and it offers several ways to wave a metaphorical fan in front of your phone's face. You can tap the quick cool button on the app's opening screen, via the app's one-button widget or from the app's entry in the notification drawer. After a few moments of scanning, you can choose to apply the changes suggest by the app. It will look for apps running in the background that don't necessarily have to be there, as well as settings that can be turned off to reduce the work your phone's doing. If you find these changes t...
Post a Comment
Read more