"Smartwatches have been really on the go nowadays and have transformed wristwatches from timekeeping devices to tiny computers on your wrist. Companies like Google and Samsung have created their own smartwatch brands and a possible development in Android watches might make them more effective.

Strings of text found in Google Play services v10.0 suggest the possible release of a tap-to-pay feature in Android watches. This feature will bring Android Pay to smartwatches, enabling you to buy and pay for whatever you want by just using your watch! The watch must have an NFC chip to connect to different terminals for example Oyster terminals.

Features and Expectations

Ever since the inclusion of NFC chips in smartwatches one of the greatest expectation from these watches was to be able to make contactless payment through one’s watch. Two years have passed and since the introduction of NFC but until now there was no progress on this. But now Google might just make this real. The text goes something like this:

""<string name=""tp_tokenization_success_on_wear_body"">%1$s %2$s has been added. Please check your watch.</string>"" and ""<string name=""tp_wear_retap_prompt"">Try holding your watch to the terminal again</string>""

The word ‘watch’ has clearly been used, making this speculation a major possibility. It also makes it clear that payment can be made by just holding the watch to any terminal. It also gives instructions to check the phone or watch.

The appearance of this text on Google Play services v10.0 means that this feature is being developed and possibly tested right now. This means that it will probably be added to Android Wear 2.0 which might be released late in 2017. In addition to this, Google is set to release two smartwatches and these might include the tap-to-pay feature. These watches were originally not rumored to have NFC but this showing up in Google Play services it is possible that these watches will have contactless payment equipment. The watches will be branded with the new ‘Made by Google’ tagline.

To conclude, this feature is almost a confirmed release by Google and might make smartwatches cross another milestone. "