All Android Wear watches have Wi-Fi chips, but some won’t get Wi-Fi support

Android Wear is getting a big update that enables a top-level app list, always-on apps, a hands-free scrolling gesture, and it's also enabling Wi-Fi support. Wi-Fi is coming not just in the software; a lot of existing devices will have their Wi-Fi functionality enabled—but not all of them.

Every Android Wear smartwatch has a Wi-Fi chip, because they use smartphone SoCs. These all-in-one processors put the CPU, GPU, RAM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and a bunch of other things on a single chip. Smartwatches that use these SoCs get all these features whether they need them or not, and things they don't need are disabled.

Phandroid got in contact with most of the Android Wear OEMs to see which watches get Wi-Fi. The Moto 360, Sony SmartWatch 3, and LG's new Watch Urbane are in, while the Asus ZenWatch and early adopters of LG products—the LG G Watch and LG G Watch R—are being left out. Samsung, which made the Gear Live, hasn't responded.

Read 1 remaining paragraphs | Comments