Google previews three upcoming Android Wear 2.0 standalone apps

The biggest single new addition for Google’s Android Wear 2.0 smartwatch OS is the ability for apps to be installed and used without a link to a smartphone. Today, the company revealed three such standalone apps that are in the works for Android Wear 2.0.

One of the apps is for the video messaging service Glide. Users will be able to broadcast live from their Android Wear 2.0 smartwatch, and they can go into a conversation just by tapping their contact shortcuts from the watch face. Yes, that means Dick Tracy’s wrist phone is going to become a reality.

Another app in the works is for Foursquare. The developers of the app claim that it will offer faster search and better overall performance so that users can spend less time looking at their smartwatch and more time checking out the best places to eat, drink or be entertained.

Finally, the food and health service Lifesum is working on an Android Wear 2.0 app that will give users a quick way to track their water use and their daily meals, again without having to access its smartphone app.

Google released the fourth developer preview version of Android Wear 2.0 earlier this week, and the company indicated there will be at least one more preview build before the final public version is released sometime in early 2017.