Jogging and jamming with Android Wear and the Sony SmartWatch 3

Going for a run is a great way to get some exercise and disconnect from the everyday grind. Today, Android Wear is giving you some extra motivation to get moving with a new update, new wearables, and a whole new range of apps.

GPS and music, with or without your phone
Whether you’re training for a marathon or you just ride your bike on weekends, Android Wear is great for tracking things like route, distance and speed. But before today, you had to keep your phone close at hand. Starting today Wear supports watches with GPS sensors, so you can enjoy these features regardless of where your phone’s at.

Likewise with music. You want to be able to turn up the volume on your favorite tunes, but the fewer devices the better when you’re jogging ‘round the bend. Now you can store music on your watch, listen to it via Bluetooth headphones, and leave your phone at home.

If you have a watch with GPS, you can try today's new features with apps like Golfshot and MyTracks. And if you want to rock out directly from your wrist, just grab the latest version of Google Play Music.

New wearables for your workout
You can order the Sony SmartWatch 3 on Google Play or from Verizon Wireless. SmartWatch 3 is the first Android Wear watch to include a GPS sensor—perfect for enjoying today’s updates. It has a transflective display that improves battery life and is really easy to read in sunlight, so it’s a great fit for staying, well, fit.

Of course, Android Wear offers a range of shapes, styles and sensors to help you find the wearable that’s right for you. The LG G Watch, the Samsung Gear Live, and the Moto 360 will all be updated to include the new music functionality over the next few days. New Android wearables coming later this year on Google Play, the LG G Watch R and the ASUS ZenWatch, will also have the latest software.

Making it easier to explore more apps
Many of the Android apps you know and love already work well with Android Wear. In fact, tens of thousands of apps are now enhanced for Wear using things like voice controls—with more added to Google Play every week. To help you find apps that work for you, we’ve created eight new app collections in Google Play. So browse the fitness and health collection, or take a look at travel, and let us know what you think in the new Android Wear community forum!

Posted by Kenny Stoltz, Product Manager, Android Wear

Updated November 10 to reflect availability of Sony SmartWatch 3 on Google Play.