Developers, take note: The second developer preview of Android Wear is out now, incorporating a number of bug fixes and new features.
Google is quick to point out that this is a work in progress, so there are likely to still be bugs and things that need changing before the consumer release of the new operating system.
So what’s new in the second developer preview of Android Wear 2.0? Perhaps the biggest change is that developers now have access to wrist gestures. Previously, you were been able to scroll through the notifications stream using wrist gestures. Now that the system is open developers, however, those developers will be able to incorporate the same concept into their apps and software. Wrist gestures improve Android Wear single-hand use and eliminate the need to operate the device using a tiny touchscreen.
Of course, open wrist gestures isn’t the only change. While Google launched wearable drawers back in the first developer preview of Android Wear 2.0, which allow users to jump to different screens within the same app, it has now added more support for the feature. For example, the changes will make it easier for users to access to drawers as they scroll through an app.
Android Wear 2.0 is fairly highly anticipated, and many are hoping it will fix many of the mistakes of the original Android Wear. While Android Wear has become quite popular through devices like the Moto 360, many argue that the operating system has a long way to go before it becomes truly helpful in everyday life.
Still, Android Wear 2.0 seems like a pretty nice update. Apart from the features in the new developer preview, the new OS will support stand-alone apps, as well as new ways to message, which will be very helpful considering the fact that trying to type on a tiny smartwatch display can get a little frustrating. The new operating system should be released at some point in the fall, possibly alongside Nexus-branded smartwatches.
