Wear OS 3 is the latest update to Google’s smartwatch platform, first announced at Google I/O 2021. It’s being co-developed by Google and Samsung, with the latter adopting his Wear OS instead of the long-standing Tizen platform. It brings some notable changes compared to previous iterations of Wear OS. This should give the combined strengths of both companies a boost when compared to both Google’s and Samsung’s efforts in this space.
First, we got to experience what Wear OS 3 can do thanks to the hugely popular Samsung Galaxy Watch 4. Recently, more smartwatches have launched with the software, including the highly anticipated Pixel Watch. . Experience so far has proven that Wear OS 3 is a perfectly decent OS that still has room to grow.
We’ve also upgraded several Wear OS 2 smartwatches to the latest software, breathing new life into slightly outdated hardware. Here’s what you can expect when you get Wear OS 3.
Availability and Eligible Smartwatches
Wear OS 3 is already available on a handful of smartwatches, thanks largely to Samsung’s efforts. After working with Google on the platform, Samsung became his partner for the exclusive launch of his Wear OS 3 on the Galaxy Watch 4. The smartwatch will be available from August 2021 and can be purchased online or directly through retailers and carriers. Most recently, he launched the new Galaxy Watch 5 series, running the latest versions of his Wear OS and One UI Watch, with updated specs and features.
Watches with Wear OS 3 onboard include:
samsung
Mont Blanc
fossil group
- 6th Generation Wellness Edition
- Diesel Glyph Gen 6
citizen
However, while more and more smartwatches have this software, the update is finally starting to arrive in older smartwatches as well. 3100 is not compatible.
So far Fossil Group has been the only notable OEM to update older watches to Wear OS 3. The latest to receive an update was the Skagen Faster Gen 6, updated in January 2023. So far, the list of smartwatches that have received Wear OS 3 include:
fossil group
- 6th generation
- Razer x Fossil Gen 6
- Michael Kors Gen 6
- Skagenfalster 6th generation
No details were provided as to when these devices will be updated, but expect other smartwatches to receive the update soon. Your device may be updated.
mobboy
- TicWatch Pro 3 GPS/LTE
- TicWatch Pro 3 Ultra
- Ticwatch E3
that day, this year
- Connected Caliber E4
- Connected Caliber E4 Porsche Edition
- Connected Golf Edition
In addition to updating its current devices, the company plans to release new Wear OS 3 smartwatches later this year. Qualcomm has also launched a new chipset, his Snapdragon W5 Gen 1. This is set to give Wear OS devices a big boost. Qualcomm says the chip will bring better battery life, better health and fitness tracking, and more improvements. Mobvoi is expected to launch the first smartwatch with this new chipset, which was supposed to arrive in the fall of 2022, but has yet to be announced.
Wear OS 3 features
One of the biggest changes is that the platform will take a similar approach to Android when it comes to UI. That means the OEM can change the look of his UI to give the smartwatch its own style. This allows smartphone OEMs to benefit from matching UI elements with smartphones to provide a cohesive experience. Samsung showed this first with his One UI Watch, but other smartphone OEMs are expected to follow suit.
Google also showed off a version of Wear OS 3, which is essentially the “stock” UI. On his Pixel Watch, the company has revealed a launcher with pill-shaped apps and rounded cards for menu options. It’s similar to the layout found in newer versions of the Play Store, Google Messages, and other of his Wear OS apps. Wear OS 3 experience. Google Maps has also been overhauled with his new UI and features, making it less dependent on a connected smartphone.
As we’ve seen on other Wear OS 3 devices, the UI looks pretty much the same, but with updated visuals and a smoother experience. For example, the quick settings menu now includes more options, notifications are richer, and the Google Assistant looks prettier than ever.
There’s a new task switcher that lets you quickly switch between apps in use by double-tapping the top navigation button on the side of the watch. The home screen can also display icons for apps running in the background.
One of the big additions is the addition of Fitbit. A new Fitbit app is available on the platform, but the experience will initially be exclusive to the Pixel Watch and will live alongside Google Fit for now. It’s unclear when the watch will be able to access the app.
One of the notable additions to Wear OS 3 is the availability of new smartwatch-specific apps in this version of the system. For example, the Google Home app allows users to control their Smart His Home Her devices from their wrist. It’s currently in public preview, but in testing it seems to work mostly as intended. Google also released a new Weather app for Wear OS 3 devices, and there’s even a new tile for Google Keep dedicated to the new OS.
As of January 2023, Google Assistant is not available on Wear OS 3 smartwatches with Qualcomm processors. This means you can access AI assistants on the Pixel Watch and Galaxy Watch 5 series. Fossil says Google remains committed to improving the experience on other devices.
Also note that Wear OS 3 watches are no longer supported in the Wear OS app. As strange as it may sound, this is because Google mandates his OEMs to manufacture their own products. Own software app. This is probably related to Google giving his OEM control over his UI and basically more control over the experience. This includes onboarding, customization, and other aspects of the Wear OS experience.
For example, Fossil has reworked the Fossil Smartwatches app to work with Wear OS watches alongside hybrid smartwatches. Here, users can change watch faces, view statistics, connect multiple watches, and more. The Pixel Watch also has its own companion app and Samsung’s Galaxy Watch lineup.
1 UI watch
Some of these new Wear OS 3 features are already available on the Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 5 series. But because it’s Samsung’s One UI Watch, you get a Galaxy-centric experience. So while many of Google’s services are available, so are Samsung’s. That means you can access Samsung Pay and Google Pay, Samsung Health and Google Fit. Some features are exclusive to Samsung services, such as the watch’s ECG sensor.
UI-wise, it’s very similar to what you’ll find on Samsung’s smartphones, right down to the settings menu. For example, the clock shows different time zones across devices and syncs blocked contacts. Navigation is also slightly different. A swipe from the bottom reveals the app drawer just like you would on a smartphone, but swiping from the left to the home screen gives you access to your notifications.
One useful feature available on the One UI Watch is the ability to automatically install apps downloaded to your smartphone onto your smartwatch, assuming there is an existing version available. This extends the Play Store’s ability to install apps directly from your phone to your watch.
One of the biggest recent additions to the One UI Watch is support for the Google Assistant. In case you don’t like Bixby, users can use Google’s her AI assistant by default. Assistant support launched on Galaxy Watch 4 in May 2022, offering a downloadable app with a new His UI and faster response.
The company recently released One UI Watch 4.5 based on Wear OS 3.5. We don’t know exactly what part of Wear OS 3.5 is, but Samsung released many new features for the Galaxy Watch as part of One UI Watch 4.5. This includes QWERTY keyboards, enhanced audio output, dual SIM support, and more.
Samsung’s One UI Watch is the only Wear OS 3 skin available for now, but it gives you a good idea of what you can expect from other smartphone OEMs with custom Android skins. We may learn more about what these OEMs have in store for Wear OS 3 flavors, but so far, none of the OEMs have announced plans to launch smartwatches running Google’s platform. .
what we want to see
From what we’ve seen since Wear OS 3 so far, we’re pretty excited about the future of Google’s wearable platform. But there are still things the company wants to adopt as it reaches more smartwatches, like support for easy backup and restore.
When you switch your phone paired to your Wear OS device, you basically have to reset your smartwatch and go through the entire setup process. That means redownloading the apps you had, uninstalling the ones you don’t need, and adjusting the settings to your liking. So it would be nice to backup the watch to the Wear OS app and expedite the process somehow.
Samsung is the only company that allows users to backup and restore their watches via the Galaxy Wear app, and we’ve heard that Google is preparing a similar backup process via Google One.
We’d also like to see more advanced health features across the platform. Google is bringing Fitbit into the mix, so hopefully we’ll see this in more smartwatches.Citizen includes some promising tech borrowed from NASA research that works well. If so, I will respond to that claim.
Affordability is something that will help you get hired. Our Jerry Hildenbrand points out that OEMs can cut costs and save platforms by tinkering with his UI and making his Wear OS their own. We’ve seen devices like the Mobvoi TicWatch E3 go as high as $199, but even cheaper if you can find them at a discounted price. When a company like Motorola, known for making top budget Android phones, launches new Wear OS devices, it could be a recipe for making Google’s platform more accessible.
Perhaps the biggest thing we’d like to see across the platform is improved battery life.When Wear OS 3 was announced, Google promised to improve this, but so far the Galaxy Watch 4 has fallen short of the hype. No. The Galaxy Watch 5 series does a little better, but even the Pixel Watch’s 24-hour battery life is often insufficient.Meanwhile, other devices like the Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 3 Ultra can easily run the old Wear OS 2 for days on their watch.
With any luck, the next generation of smartwatches with the new Qualcomm W5+ Gen 1 chip will have significantly better battery life.
The new Pixel Watch is the latest and possibly the best Wear OS 3 smartwatch you can buy. It features advanced health sensors and Fitbit integration to help you track your goals.
