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Android Wear 2.0 is a huge update

Google announced Android Wear 2.0, a major overhaul of the smartwatch operating system. The Watch OS adds a lot of emphasis on standalone apps, which Apple has done with Uber, fitness, and other apps. Android Wear 2.0 is set to launch this fall. However, the developer preview is available today.

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The update lets developers create custom watch faces with data from any app. Android Wear doesn’t allow skinning like Android does, which means developers were limited in what they could do to a watch. It also includes a full keyboard which you can scribble on the screen to respond to notifications.

The biggest update for users is you can now leave your phone at home when you go for a run or walk. Android Wear 2.0 now tracks steps and other health data when a phone isn’t connected, which you’d like is a no-brainer. Google also announced support to play music offline, something the Apple Watch could do.

Android Wear 2.0 is the biggest update yet, and will make the watches more appealing to users. Tell us in the comments below if you have an Android Wear watch and which one!

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