Google’s Android Wear Watches are Coming to the iPhone

Daniel Howley
·Technology Editor
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The Apple Watch is getting some new competition from an old foe: Google has announced that Android Wear smartwatches will finally be compatible with the iPhone.

Until today, smartwatches running Google’s Android Wear software only worked in conjunction with Android-powered smartphones. As a result, companies building Android Wear watches — including Motorola, Samsung, and LG — couldn’t get their watches onto the wrists of iPhone users.

Read More: The Apple Watch: Half Computer, Half Jewelry, Mostly Magical

But with today’s announcement, Android Wear watches will now be compatible with Apple’s iPhone 5, 5c, 5s, 6, and 6 Plus running iOS 8.2 and later. (They’ll also presumably be compatible with whatever new phones Apple introduces next week.)

According to a blog post by Google, Android Wear for iOS will let you check notifications from your favorite iPhone apps on your watch, track your daily fitness goals, and get things like traffic and weather updates.

Unfortunately, there are some limitations to Android Wear’s iPhone-compatibility. For example, Google says third-party Wear apps won’t work with Apple’s handset. The search giant did, however, say it is working to support third-party apps in the future.

Similarly, Google made no mention of whether older Android Wear watches will work with the iPhone. Instead, the company said that Android Wear for iOS will work with LG’s Urbane smartwatch, which was released in May, as well as all future Android Wear watches.

Bringing Android Wear to the iPhone is a big win for Android Wear smartwatch makers, because it means their devices could soon be on the wrists of the legion of existing and future iPhone owners.

It’s also a win for iPhone owners, as they now have more choices in smartwatches. Sure the Apple Watch is good looking and built specifically to be used with the iPhone. But with a starting price of $350, it’s also more expensive than most Android Wear watches (which sell for as little as $100).

That said, if you’re a prospective smartwatch buyer who’s already an Apple user, chances are you’ll still buy the Apple Watch, because it just works better with the iPhone.

If you’re an iPhone user, would you buy an Android Wear watch? Let us know in the comments section.

Email Daniel at dhowley@yahoo-inc.com; follow him on Twitter at @DanielHowley or on Google+.