Android Wear 2.0 Unveiled at Google I/O Today.

Two years after releasing the android wear, Google is taking the first major step forward with Android Wear, its OS for wearables.
The New Release is called just Android Wear 2.0 - and lacking the name convention that follows its smartphone parent - Google announced the changes coming to smart watches and wearables in the new version at its developer conference, Google I/O 2016, on Wednesday night.
Some of these are the option of standalone apps, input methods, a new notification design, and an API for "complications".

Android Wear is a lightweight platform that connects to the wearer’s body and provides the right information at the right time. Wear makes it easy for users to be more connected to both the online and real worlds by making important information available at a glance and allowing users to complete tasks quickly.

Unlike previously, apps on your wearable device will now be allowed to directly access the Internet (Wi-Fi, cellular or Bluetooth) without having to go through its smartphone app. "This means your app can continue to offer full functionality even if the paired phone is far away or turned off," Google said in a statement. The company noted that removing this need to be tethered allows apps to offer the same experience across Android or iOS.

Highlights of Android Wear 2.0

Wear 2.0 supports written input methods.

There is a focus towards vertical layouts.

The link to the developer preview is: https://developer.android.com/wear/preview/index.html