Newsletter
Google today has announced Wear OS 4, the next iteration of its smartwatch platform. And there’s actually a way for some to get a hold of the new software pretty soon. Though it might not be what you think.
It’s not coming in the form of a beta. Instead, Google says it will be releasing a developer preview and emulator for Wear OS 4 so developers can get started on working with it prior to its official launch. This means you’ll probably need to have a developer account if you want to check things out first-hand. Although that won’t be necessary if you just want to know what’s coming and what’s changing. While details about what Wear OS 4 includes will surely trickle out over time, Google will also be sharing more information on it later.
The company states it will have more information to dole out in the months ahead. Additionally, Google has confirmed a general release window.
Wear OS 4 announced, will launch later this year
As mentioned, Google has confirmed a general release window for the new software. It will arrive later this year, with the developer preview and emulator being made available much earlier. Likely sometime today or this week.
Google doesn’t give out a specific launch date for Wear OS 4 though. Just that it’s coming later in 2023. Given the rumors about a Pixel Watch 2 arriving this Fall, that seems like a pretty good bet on launch timing. As for changes, Google mentions some notable stuff to look forward to.
As with Wear OS 3, a big focal point for Wear OS 4 when it comes to changes is improved battery life. Google is also adding “new and improved accessibility features such as a “faster and more reliable text-to-speech engine.”
The biggest improvement though, at least in our eyes, is the backup and restore support. This will allow you to switch to either a new phone or a new watch without having to factory reset the watch. And good news for Samsung Galaxy Watch owners, Google says it’s launching a new set of developer tools that allow developers to collaborate with Samsung on watch faces.
New app experiences and new & improved third-party apps
In addition to the Wear OS 4 announcement, Google also shed some light on specific changes coming to apps and app experiences.
For instance, Google is adding 2 factor authentication to Google Home compatibility on Wear OS. The company also says new Gmail experiences will be brought over to Wear OS later this year alongside Calendar experiences. Such as schedules, and event details with actions like RSVP, delete, and navigation.
On top of all this, users will see new apps coming to the platform and new features coming to existing ones. WhatsApp will be dropping onto Wear OS for the first time this year and allow for sending and receiving messages. Spotify meanwhile will be getting some new tiles that let users start new sessions with the DJ Experience feature, or begin new episodes of their favorite podcasts.
There’s also a new tile for the Peloton app to review weekly workout progress, and the ability to track activity with Peloton equipment-based workouts. Google doesn’t mention any specific times for the arrival of these app changes. But don’t be surprised if they show up later this year.