Here's why Android Wear has been removed from Google's online store

Google has had a big refresh this week revealing new devices such as the Pixel 2 and Google Home Mini, but Android Wear wasn't even mentioned in the announcement and now the section referring to Google smartwatches has been taken down from the Google Store.

You can find the flagship Android Wear 2.0-toting  LG Watch Sport and LG Watch Style on the Google Store, but each has now been listed as "no longer available".

Some Android Wear fans have panicked, thinking this has tolled the death knell of Google's smartwatch OS, but there's quite a simple explanation of why this has happened and it's to do with Google's new sales strategy.

Goodbye top watches

On Twitter, Android Wear and Google employee Hoi Lam explained that the company only wants to push "Google made hardware", but there aren't any home-grown Android Wear products at the moment, so there's nothing appropriate for Google to stock.

This matches with the "Made By Google" tagline and hashtag we saw at the event earlier this week. Google is instead pushing Android Wear products on retailer sites including Amazon and offline sources as well. 

It is a sensible explanation, but seems unfortunate for those who really love the Android Wear platform and those who are looking for a smartwatch alongside their new Pixel 2 or Pixel 2 XL.

TOPICS
James Peckham

James is the Editor-in-Chief at Android Police. Previously, he was Senior Phones Editor for TechRadar, and he has covered smartphones and the mobile space for the best part of a decade bringing you news on all the big announcements from top manufacturers making mobile phones and other portable gadgets. James is often testing out and reviewing the latest and greatest mobile phones, smartwatches, tablets, virtual reality headsets, fitness trackers and more. He once fell over.