Android wear sdk setup,demo with android wear developer preview app

Nowadays, you are seeing more and more android wearable tech devices in markets like Google glass, smart watch, blue tooth ring, wristband etc. API to develop apps for Google glass was available earlier but recently in March, 2014 Google released “android wear sdk| android wear developer
preview | android wearable sdk”. Using this developer can develop apps which will be supported by all the android wearable sdk devices.

It’s very pre-mature to assume that android wearable tech devices will replace smart phone, tablets but android wearable tech devices offer significant advantages like convenience, multi tasking, flexibility. People started liking these wearable tech devices available in market. So keeping this trend in mind Google has launched android wear sdk recently to fasten the app development process and attract more 3rd party android wear developers.

Android wear sdk tutorial to start developing apps for android wearable tech devices

Setup Eclipse for android wear preview app developed using android wear sdk

(1) Open eclipse. Navigate to Windows –> Android SDK Manager.

(2) In section Android 4.4.2 (API 19), you will see “Android Wear ARM EABI v7a System Image” and “ARM EABI v7a System Image”. Download both as highlighted in screenshot. I will recommend you to download all the components listed under Android 4.4.2.




(3) Once downloaded “android wear preview sdk”, restart the eclipse.

(4) Go to Window –> Android Virtual Device Manager. Click New –> enter all details as shown in screen shot.





You can choose between 2 types of android emulators for wear sdk, “Android Wear Round” and “Android Wear Square.” Choose target as API level 19.


(5) Now, you will see list of android emulators in the window. Select “Android-Wear-Round” we have just created and click on start –> Launch to launch it.




Once launched, you will see android wearable sdk emulator like this.



android wearable sdk emulator window


Connect Android wear sdk emulator With your phone


(1) Make sure Android-Wear-Round emulator which we have just created, should be running and also you should have installed this app in your phone. Download android wear app


Once app is installed, Go to settings and enable notification access.




(2) Connect your smart phone, tablet etc. device to PC using USB cabel and enable usb debugging mode in your device.

(3) This step will connect your android phone with android wear emulator. One way to connect both is through Bluetooth.

Second way to connect: Open command prompt and navigate to platform-tools folder.


Fire below commands.
adb devices // after firing this command, you should be able to see emulator and your device attached.
adb -d forward tcp:5601 tcp:5601 // To make connection with android wear emulator from device




(4) Now in your device, Open Android wear preview app and click on connect.




You are done now. Now you will be able to see all your device notifications into Android wear sdk emulator window.

Understanding android wear sdk preview app
There are several notification in your phone. You can swipe up-down to go through all notifications.
For every notification there are 2 tabs. 1st to show notification and 2nd to open or share it. Swipe left-right to see all tabs for 1 notification.
When you click on open or share that window will be opened in your device so that you can see the entire notification or share it.






I hope to see any new android wearable tech devices in market coming days.

Tags
android wearable sdk
android wear sdk
android wear developer preview
android wear preview app
android wearable tech
android emulators