Screenshot / YouTube
An Android Wear watch.
It is possible to pair an older Android Wear smartwatch with an iPhone, despite concerns that it might not be possible, according to a report from 9to5Google.
On Monday, Google released a new Android Wear app for the iPhone that enables users to pair one of the many Android watches to the iPhone 5, 5C, 5S, 6, or 6 Plus. Before now, Android watches only worked with Android phones. However, even with the update, it appeared that many older Android Wear watches, such as the Moto 360 and Galaxy Gear series, would still not work with the iPhone.
But there seems to be a way to use older models. All that a user needs to do is update to version 1.3 of the software and perform a factory reset before pairing with an iPhone via the dedicated app.
Google allows brand new devices to work with an iPhone out of the box whereas older devices need to be reset so that they can appear new. Google officially supports the LG Watch Urbane, Huawei Watch, and ASUS ZenWatch 2, all of which were released recently.
In a statement to TechCrunch, Google explains the decision to leave older devices out in the cold: "We wanted to make sure that iOS users would have a great experience with Android Wear out of the box. We've worked with manufacturers to ensure that the newest watches work really well with modern iPhones, but last year's watches aren't technically supported."
Motorola, the maker of the 360, is rumoured to be announcing two new devices on September 8, which will undoubtedly support the iPhone out of the box.