Wear OS 5, the next major update based on Android 14 for Smartwatches, is set to launch later this year. Google announced the Wear OS 5 at the Google I/O event in May. Soon after announcement, the Wear OS 5 developer preview also went live for development purposes. But there is time before it is released to the public.
The new update will bring some new features and many improvements including the better battery efficiency. This may not be interesting for all Wear OS users since many watches are still running Wear OS 3, and may not get Wear OS 5. But for the popular watches like Galaxy and Pixel, the updates are always on time.
If you are a Wear OS smartwatch user then you should know about what the new update has in store for you and when you get to test it. Here we will discuss about Wear OS 5 release date, features, and supported devices.
Wear OS 5 Release Date
Let’s start with the question of when you will get a taste of Wear OS 5. Wear OS 5 is a major update and Google will follow its usual beta testing process before releasing it to the public.
Google announced the first developer preview of Wear OS 5 on May 16 and a public beta will be available soon to some devices. Samsung confirmed that eligible Galaxy Watches will get One UI 6 Watch beta in June. One thing to note is that not all eligible watches will get the beta updates.
If we look at the data, Galaxy Watches are the first to get a stable build of any new Wear OS since Wear OS 3. And the same is expected to happen this year as well. The Wear OS 5 will release in August to the Public along with the Galaxy Watch 7.
Google will launch the Pixel Watch 3 in October which will be powered by the stock Wear OS 5, or you can say pure Wear OS 5.
Later we can expect other brands to also update their Smartwatches to the latest Wear OS 5.
Wear OS 5 Features
So far, only a couple of information are available in terms of new features. With the announcement, Google revealed its goal with Wear OS 5.
With Wear OS 5, Google will focus on the battery performance improvements. So Wear OS 5 will be more power efficient and will give users more time on a single charge.
Since smartwatches are small, they only fit a small battery that quickly drain due to heavy operations. True smartwatches come with loads of features that consume battery.
Power Efficiency
Google has confirmed that the Wear OS 5 is more power-efficient. As per Google, the Wear OS 5 running watches consume 20% less battery than Wear OS 4 watches.
Watch Face Format Update
Wear OS 5 also receives changes in the Watch Face department. The new iteration of the Watch Face Format allows developers to make attractive watch faces by choosing new flavors, new complications, weather data, and more options. The new complications include goal progress and weighted elements.
These are the new features for developers, but general users can expect better watch faces made using the new format.
Grid-based App Launcher
Google also mentioned the first developer preview brings Grid View to the pure Wear OS 5 interface. Itโs already available on some watches running Wear OS through a custom UI. But it will be a new feature to Stock Wear OS 5.
To change between Grid View and List View, you can go to Settings > General > App view in Wear OS 5.
Privacy Dashboard
This is a another Wear OS 5 feature that revealed through the Android Authority finding. Wear OS 5 includes a Privacy Dashboard that shows the sensitive permission used within 24 hours which will let you manage permissions easily just like how it works on Android phones. It can be found under Settings > Apps & notifications.
Choose Media Output Device
The new update lets users choose which device should play media and show information about the media. If a Wear OS app that requires an audio output, if it detects no Bluetooth headset is connected then it will directly open the media output switcher.
Health Services Improvements
Health Services now supports more data metrics related to running. This means it can now provide more info like Ground contact time, Stride length, Vertical oscillation, and Vertical ratio.
These are some of the new features and changes that have come to light till now. There are fewer features, but we could see more features at a later date of course which is not confirmed. Also if your Watch runs on a Custom UI, you can expect additional features. For example Samsung will be bringing more features with the One UI 6 Watch update.
Wear OS 5 Supported Devices
Many Smartwatch brands have adopted Wear OS because of obvious reasons. Samsung and Google are the sharks in the pool, but there are many smartwatches from other brands that are powered by Wear OS.
First, letโs talk about the Smartwatches almost confirmed to get the Wear OS 5 update:
- Galaxy Watch 7 Series
- Galaxy Watch 6 Series
- Galaxy Watch 5 Series
- Galaxy Watch 4 Series
- Galaxy Watch FE
- Pixel Watch
- Pixel Watch 2
- Pixel Watch 3
- OnePlus Watch 2
There are many Wear OS-powered watches, but many of them are still running on Wear OS 3, or Wear OS 3.5. So Watches from Xiaomi, Mobvoi, and Fossil may or may not get the new update. Also, there are watches eligible for Wear OS 4 but still havenโt got the update.
So whatโs your opinion on the Wear OS 5 update? Let us know if your Watch is included on the list or not.
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