After a brief moment of doubt this week, it appears Google’s Android Wear wearable platform is still here to stay.
Yesterday, reports emerged of Google having closed the Android Wear section of its online store. This meant all options to purchase a wide range of Android Wear devices had disappeared from the Play Store, sparking confusion amongst users.
But it seems that reports of the platform’s impending demise were premature, as Google has since confirmed that wearable fans have nothing to fear.
Google staffer Hoi Lam, who works on Android Wear, responded to a follower on Twitter who was concerned about the lack of Android Wear announcements at Google’s recent event – and the removal of watches from the Google Store.
Hoi Lam replied: “Don’t be sad! The Google Store team made a change that they will only stock Google made hardware.”
He went on: “Our team knew the plant for a year now and invested in custom store fronts with online retailers e.g. Amazon. Together with all our partners (online/offline), we will reach more people all over the world than ever before.”
The tweet chain closed with: “When I visited partner stores in London and Shanghai, they couldn’t be more excited about our line-up this fall. On the technical front, I have more to share about how we think about updates – stay tuned!”
Don't worry… Thread👇 https://t.co/JkxlHXZZIG
— Hoi Lam 🇺🇦🇬🇧🇪🇺 (@hoitab) October 5, 2017
So it seems Google isn’t slowly sidelining Android Wear, at least according to Hoi Lam. Wearable fans, sleep easy.
Related: Best smartwatch
Have you jumped on the wearable bandwagon yet? Let us know via Facebook or Twitter.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
