We've known that it's coming for about a month, and today Google has made good on those expectations. According to a post on the official Android blog, Android Wear will be getting a software update "in the coming weeks" that will enable interactive watch faces. These are essentially tiny apps/widgets built into a watch face design that let you do more than simply tell the time or check the weather. A sufficiently advanced face app could replace several individual Wear apps, or do away with the need to check for updates from a specific app.

Here are some of the examples Google gives in its post.

Bits: a collection of widgets that surround a central watch face, with email alerts, notifications, steps, the date, and your next calendar appointment.

Under Armour: a fitness companion from the well-known athletic wear company. Tap to switch between steps, distance walked, and calories burned.

Together: An app that lets you instantly share photos and sketches with a connected user. Presumably this is intended for spouses and the like.

Also, the update will include Google's Translate functionality even without a connected app.

Developers, check out this guide to the interactive watch face API for tips on how to create new faces or add this functionality to your current apps. We don't have specific dates for when the updates will arrive, and of course they probably won't come to every Android Wear watch at the same time. Stay tuned.

Source: Android blog