Google may be planning to boost its Android Wear platform with support for on-watch phone calls, according to rumours posted online on Monday.
According a Google+ update from well-connected Android blogger Artem Russakovskii, the firm could be planning to unleash another significant update at Google I/O later this month.
The boost to the wearable operating system will also add compatibility for Android Wear watches with built-in speakers, the tipster claims.
Currently there are no Android Wear watches with built-in speakers, but the new software functionality would surely open the door for such hardware enhancements.
As for making calls on the phone, new watches like the LG Watch Urbane LTE feature cellular connectivity, so the software boost would optimise Android Wear in that respect.
Read more: Google I/O 2015: What to expect
Russakowskii wrote (via 9to5Google): “I’m hearing that Android Wear is getting support for watches with speakers and on-watch phone calls (yes, the concept isn’t new, but it’d be new to Android Wear).
“I’m hoping for an I/O announcement, but I have no info about timing, unfortunately. Hardware with speaker support should be coming soon.”
Whether either of these features would be enough to give Android Wear a much needed boost in the opinion polls remains to be seen.
However, in terms of on-watch calling, we’ve been there and done that, haven’t we?
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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.
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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.
