Google: manufacturers will soon be allowed to adjust more in Android Wear

Manufacturers of wearables such as smartwatches should eventually be given more options to customize Android Wear as they see fit. Google’s mobile operating system now has few options for manufacturers to distinguish themselves.

In an interview with Re/code, Google CEO Hiroshi Lockheimer, who holds the position of vice president of engineering at the company, says that the limited customization options in Android Wear “is not a permanent situation.” It should soon be possible for manufacturers of wearables to make adjustments to the OS themselves, so that they can better distinguish themselves with their products.

When using Android on televisions or in the car, we are also looking at expanding the possibilities for manufacturers to make adjustments themselves. With Android TV and Android Auto, Google has two custom operating systems that focus on this.

According to Lockheimer, some of the new capabilities for manufacturers will be demonstrated shortly with the introduction of Asus’ previously announced ZenWatch. What exactly will be possible is not specified further. The CEO did want to say that his company is still looking for the ‘optimal balance’ when it comes to adaptability of its software by manufacturers.

For now, smartwatches that run on Android Wear all have the same interface. Manufacturers must therefore distinguish themselves on hardware. LG, Samsung, Motorola and Asus, among others, have announced smartwatches with Google’s mobile operating system.