Android Wear update adds GPS support as Sony SmartWatch 3 orders open

There are now a lot of smartwatches to choose from, and many of them need to be tethered to a phone to function properly. Google today rolls out an update to Android Wear that adds support for watches with a GPS sensor, meaning that it will be possible to leave your phone at home when you go for a run.

The GPS update is making its way to the LG G Watch, the Samsung Gear Live, and the Moto 360 over the coming days. It coincides with pre-orders opening for Sony's SmartWatch 3, the first Android Wear device to include a GPS sensor. The smartwatch is available on Verizon right now (yours for $249.99) for shipping on 30 October, and will be making its way to Google Play very soon.

The standalone functionality of the latest breed of Android Wear devices such as the SmartWatch 3 is likely to open it up to a whole new audience. It's not just tracking your running routes and speed that you can now achieve without hauling your mobile around with you. Google explains that the update means you can now "store music on your watch, listen to it via Bluetooth headphones, and leave your phone at home." One less reason to get mugged...

Google points to apps such as Golfshot and MyTracks as being among those that will be of interest to anyone packing a GPS-enabled smartwatch, and as more devices launch the number of watch-friendly apps is only going to increase. Kenny Stoltz, product manager for Android Wear, points out that "many of the Android apps you know and love already work well with Android Wear."