Google really wants to let your iPhone work with Android Wear

Android Wear support could be coming to your iPhone. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android

Android Wear support could be coming to your iPhone. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android

One of the easiest ways Google could compete with Apple Watch is to make its Android Wear devices compatible with iOS. Some say it’ll never happen, but according to Android Wear product manager Jeff Chang, support for other platforms is something the search giant is “very interested in.”

“We always want as many users as possible to enjoy our experience, so in terms of enabling more people to use Android Wear we’re very interested in making that happen,” Chang told Huffington Post when asked whether Google would look to cross-platform support to compete with Microsoft’s rumored smartwatch.

It’s hardly surprising given the company’s focus on reaching as many users as possible. Unlike BlackBerry and Windows Phone, iOS already has an ever-increasing catalog of official Google apps — including things like Maps, YouTube, Gmail, and Google+. You can even connect your Google Glass to your iPhone.

In addition, supporting iOS can only mean more Android Wear users. There are lots of iPhone users out there who would love to pair their smartphone with Motorola’s gorgeous Moto 360, which is significantly cheaper than even the cheapest Apple Watch. But as things stand, that’s just not possible — not even with third-party hacks.

Don’t get too excited just yet, though. Chang concedes that as much as Google would like to bring Android Wear to other platforms, there are constraints that could prevent it from happening.

“It’s not always completely up to us right? There are technical constraints, API constraints so we are trying really hard,” he added. “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.”

I’m certainly keeping my fingers firmly crossed.