Google Maps simply acquired an enormous improve for Wear OS smartwatches: it might probably now work and not using a smartphone, offered you’ve gotten an LTE mannequin with a mobile community.
These of you utilizing a few of the best Wear OS smartwatches on the market – the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 LTE mannequin or the Google Pixel Watch LTE – can get navigation information from Google Maps while not having to pair your watch with a smartphone. Which means the subsequent time you need to head out on a stroll, a jog, or a motorbike journey you gained’t have to take your telephone with you to know the place you’re going.
Non-LTE Wear OS smartwatches can reap the benefits of the Google Maps replace too so long as they’re linked to Wi-Fi. However except you’re touring round a significant metropolis it’s unlikely you’ll have a steady sufficient connection to take full benefit of the characteristic.
To make use of the brand new Google Maps software you’ll need to open the app in your Wear OS smartwatch, enter a vacation spot utilizing your voice or the keyboard, choose the way you need to get there (both on foot, by bike on in a automobile), after which hit begin and head out in your journey.
Whereas the Wear OS model of Google Maps lacks a few of the smartphone model’s performance – you possibly can’t get info for routes utilizing public transport for now – it does have one neat add-on. If in case you have enabled mirroring and have began navigation in your smartphone solely to go away it behind, your watch will be capable of take over and provide you with instructions so you possibly can end the journey – although that is admittedly a comparatively area of interest use case.
In the event you’ve been weighing up the professionals and cons of choosing an LTE smartwatch versus a (usually cheaper) non-LTE variant, this new Google Maps replace provides you one more reason to go for the previous over the latter. In the event you all the time battle to discover a comfy place to place your android telephone everytime you’re on a run or a motorbike journey, this Maps enchancment will probably serve you nicely (and provides LTE fashions an edge).
On high of that, you’ll additionally be capable of reap the benefits of different LTE advantages, together with the flexibility to obtain calls and messages with out your telephone, and to hearken to music from a few of the best music streaming services – you’ll simply want to recollect to get an information plan on your watch.
