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androidwear14_moto360_main

Google announced several new features in the latest Android Habiliment update for smartwatches. While Google's Android weblog mail doesn't specifically identify the release number, other Google sources have verified the update is Android OS 6.0 and Android Wear i.4. In comparison, the first-generation Moto 360 watch I apply currently runs Android Bone five.1.1 and Android Wear 1.3.0.

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The starting time prepare of new features are new navigation gestures, which are documented in an Android Clothing Help page. The first of three new gestures is "accept action on a card," which lets you select options in a menu or go dorsum to a previous screen. The instructions for this gesture are:

Hold your arm in front of you and apace push downwards, and bring information technology back normally to the original position.

Pushing downwards on a card will have yous to that card's first action. Pushing down a second time will select that commencement activeness, which is the most mutual action. There is not a way to select or perform an action after the first activity using solely gestures. You lot go dorsum by performing the gesture in opposite.

The second set of new gestures lets you open the apps bill of fare and pull down settings from the scout face up. Opening the apps menu is washed past holding your arm in front of you and apace pushing down, and then bringing it dorsum ordinarily to the original position. Pulling downwardly settings is washed by slowly turning your wrist abroad from you lot and so chop-chop flicking back towards you.

The third new gesture lets y'all get back to the scout confront by property your arm in front end of you and shaking your wrist out and in quickly a couple of times.

The 2d new feature is the power to transport messages to Google Hangouts, Nextplus, Telegram, Viber, WeChat, and WhatsApp by speaking to an Android Wearable wristwatch.

The 3rd and final new characteristic is potentially the nigh useful, but it's express to Android Wear watches that have a born speaker. Google notes that ii currently available watches have speakers: The Huawei Scout and the ASUS ZenWatch two (49mm). With the update, y'all can make phone calls and heed to messages correct from the watch, as long every bit it has a speaker. (The LG Watch Urbane second Edition LTE was the first Android Wear watch to include a speaker.)

The proclamation says the update will go available on the diverse Android Wear smartwatch models over the next few weeks. If y'all are considering developing an Android Wear spotter app, read Google'due south official API 23 SDK documentation.