Platform lock-in is a significant factor and in smartphone purchases – mobile users are simply more likely to stay with the OS they are most familiar with, and have their most important services tied to. While nascent, the wearables space is shaping up much in the same way: the Apple Watch will require an iPhone to work; Fitbit doesn’t want to play nice with Health for iOS.
Recent comments from Android Wear product manager Jeff Chang, however, give hope for cross-platform utility in the wearables space. Speaking to the Huffington Post UK, Chang stated that he team is “very interested” in bringing Android Wear to “as many users as possible.”
Chang also notes that despite his team’s interest, cross-platform functionality between iOS and Android Wear might not be possible:
“It’s not always completely up to us right? There are technical constraints, API constraints so we are trying really hard. We would love to have Android Wear reach as many people as possible but I’ll just say that it’s not 100 per cent under our control.”
Chang comments come as a response to questions of whether Google is looking to compete with Microsoft’s rumoured forthcoming wearable, which will supposedly be Android, iOS, and Windows Phone compatible.
[source]Huffington Post[/source]
