Best Android Wear smartwatch apps of 2014

The Android Wear platform announced at Google I/O 2014 in July of this year, was Google's first step towards expanding the available platforms that Android can exist on. Google is expanding the Android platforms to seamlessly connect your life to your Google account. Alongside Android Auto and Android TV, Android Wear is an extension of Android from your phone, to your wrist.
The operating system works on both watches with square and round faces in a variety of styles. Regardless of which device you choose, Android Wear apps will work the same. At the core of Android Wear is app notifications. You can view all of your notifications, and even act on some, without taking out your phone. Extended Android Wear functions are being added to existing apps and some apps even run independently from your phone.

 

But what are the best Android Wear apps? Let’s find out. Majority of messaging apps This category is pretty broad, but if you use almost any messaging app like Hangouts, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, KakaoTalk, and Telegram can all push notifications to Android Wear. Instead of an audio or vibration notification on your phone, your Android Wear watch receives the notification. Some apps even let you reply with your voice. This means you’re less likely to miss a message. It’s still up to developers to add functionality, but even as a simple notification it’s a worthwhile feature.  

Google Play Music is a great cross-platform service. It works on the web and through the app but also has Android Wear specific features. You can control playback and volume through your smartwatch instead of opening the app on your phone. Also included is the ability to download music directly so you don’t have to have your phone with you. You can pair Bluetooth headphones to your watch and listen to music. Android Wear still hasn't figured out how to be a great fitness tracker. Some Android Wear smartwatches lack a heartbeat sensor so you'll be missing  that data. Of course, other fitness trackers sell their own wearables and sync through an app so you might not even need Google Fit.

But for someone who wants to keep track of their steps throughout the day, Google Fit is perfectly fine. It syncs from the watch and the Android app. You don’t need to have the smartwatch connected all the time because it can sync once it’s connected again. Google Fit can track walking, running, and biking as the most common activities, but you can add different sports. I think of Google Fit as a passive fitness counter rather than those with dedicated fitness bands, but you could also try RunKeeper if you want to keep track of your running. The best apps for Android Wear right now are Google's apps.

This makes sense because they can show off their own platform. The best part of Google Maps for Android Wear is that it displays navigation directions on your smartwatch. While this isn't as useful when driving, getting walking directions without having to carry your phone is very useful. I felt safer using Google Maps on my Android Wear device in Barcelona and Seoul because I didn't have  to pull out my phone out at night.