Google’s Wear OS platform hasn’t changed by much in the last few years. The incremental updates did not address many issues that have plagued Android smartwatches for long. Things might finally improve later this year when Wear OS gets a major update.
On the Android Developers blog, Google spokespersons finally broke their silence on the future of Wear OS — a topic that was notably missing from the Google I/O 2020 keynote. The next major update should be rolling out in the fall of this year. The key focus areas were improving the performance and power of these watches.
This will start with about a 20% speed improvement in opening apps as well as accessing information. The initial pairing process will also be tuned to get quicker than before. The system interface will have “more intuitive controls” to navigate between watch faces and workout modes. OEMs will also be able to modify the software and add their own features.
Other additions will include a new hand washing timer to help users maintain better hygiene during Covid-19. A new weather compilation will show the entire day’s forecast at a glance. There will also be improvements in the fitness features.
The other improvements will come from the new Snapdragon Wear 4100 and Wear 4100 Plus chipsets, which move to a 12nm level that can potentially improve the processing power by a whopping 85%. The power consumption is also expected to be lower by about 25%, thanks to the more efficient architecture and better connectivity standards such as Wi-Fi a/b/g/n and Bluetooth 5.0.
We’re always imagining the new ways that wearables can help people stay healthy, present and connected. Stay tuned for more in 2021!
The first Wear OS smartwatch with the new hardware is the TicWatch Pro (2020). Other OEM partners confirmed include Fossil, as well as new devices from Xiaomi, Oppo and Suunto. There will also be other offerings from other brands later. Could this be the update that Google needed to revitalise Wear OS?
