Tag: Wear OS 6

  • Wear OS 6: New Features Ahead of Google Pixel Watch 4 Release

    Wear OS 6: New Features Ahead of Google Pixel Watch 4 Release

    Key Takeaways

    1. Google is not planning to launch new smartwatches for a while, following the Pixel Watch 3 release last summer.
    2. Wear OS 6 introduces a feature that automatically locks smartphones when out of range from the Pixel Watch.
    3. A new ‘Water Lock’ feature in Wear OS 6 may disable the touchscreen when water is detected, similar to features in other smartwatch OSs.
    4. Google is expected to announce the Pixel 10 models and possibly the Pixel Watch 4 on August 20.
    5. The Pixel Watch 4 is anticipated to be thicker than previous models and will support inductive charging, but full specifications are not yet available.

    Google is not planning to launch any new smartwatches for some time. Just to remind you, the Pixel Watch 3 (currently priced at $299 on Amazon) was introduced last summer alongside the Pixel 9 series in two different sizes. However, last month, the company unveiled Wear OS 6 during its yearly I/O conference.

    New Features Discovered

    Recently, 9to5Google reported that it found a new feature in Wear OS 6 that was not mentioned during the conference. Based on recent changes in the code, the site displayed a screenshot revealing that users can now lock their smartphones automatically when they are out of range from their Pixel Watch. This new option is set to enhance the existing Watch Unlock feature, which allows users to unlock their phones with their smartwatch while they are close to each other.

    Additional Updates on Wear OS 6

    In the meantime, Android Authority has stated that the Developer Preview of Wear OS 6 includes a feature called ‘Water Lock’. At the moment, the details about what this feature entails are not very clear from the code strings. Nevertheless, both Android Authority and 9to5Google suggest that Water Lock will function similarly to features found in One UI Watch and Apple watchOS, which disable the touchscreen when water is detected and then ejects the water by producing a sound from the device’s speakers.

    Upcoming Pixel Launch

    Currently, Google is expected to announce the Pixel 10 models on August 20, bringing back the Adaptive EQ feature, among other updates. Therefore, it is likely that the Pixel Watch 4 models will also be introduced on the same day, with shipping anticipated to start towards the end of August. Reports indicate that the Pixel Watch 4 will be more than 16% thicker than the existing models and will support inductive charging as well. Full specifications for the Pixel Watch 4 series are still not available at this time.

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    Wear OS 6: New Features Ahead of Google Pixel Watch 4 ReleaseWear OS 6: New Features Ahead of Google Pixel Watch 4 Release
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  • Facer Brings Thousands of Watch Faces to Wear OS 6 This Year

    Facer Brings Thousands of Watch Faces to Wear OS 6 This Year

    Key Takeaways

    1. Facer, a popular app for customizing smartwatch faces, was removed due to changes in Wear OS 5.
    2. The app will return with Wear OS 6 later this year, offering a “revitalized, more powerful” experience.
    3. Facer originally launched in 2016 and has a large library of over 500,000 watch faces.
    4. The new version will include thousands of compatible watch faces and improved syncing with mobile apps.
    5. Facer will also introduce new features, brands, and exclusive discounts at the launch.

    Those who have been using smartwatches for a while already know what Facer is but for those unaware, it was the go-to app for watch face customization. Unfortunately, it was removed from the platform due to changes brought by Wear OS 5. Now, the company has announced Facer will be returning “revitalized, more powerful” with Wear OS 6 later this year.

    A Brief History of Facer

    Facer was launched back in 2016 as a third-party app for smartwatches that brings a massive library of free and paid watch faces. It allowed users to customize their watch face outside of what the default available faces were. With the introduction of Wear OS 5 last year, watches running this OS such as Pixel Watch 3 (Buy on Amazon), Samsung Galaxy Watch7 (Buy on Amazon), and Galaxy Watch Ultra (Buy on Amazon), became incompatible with Facer due to some policy changes. Users were limited to only those watch faces built using Google’s “Watch Face Format”. To overcome this, Facer would have had to manually publish faces in the Google Play Store which was not “logistically feasible” for the massive catalog of over 500,000 faces.

    The Comeback of Facer

    Now, Facer has announced its return with the rollout of Wear OS 6 later this year. The company had been working with Google and it seems to have reached an amicable solution. “With new system-level capabilities coming in Wear OS 6, alongside innovations from Facer — the full Facer experience is set to be reintroduced — revitalized, more powerful, and better than ever,” the announcement on Medium reads.

    Exciting New Features

    Facer will bring thousands of watch faces from its catalog that are compatible with Wear OS 6 and more will be added by this fall that are compliant with Google’s new Watch Face Format. It will bring back seamless face syncing between the mobile app and the smartwatch thanks to Watch Face Push in Wear OS 6. Furthermore, Facer will also bring new features, new brands, and exclusive discounts at launch.

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  • Google Pixel Watch Updates: Fresh Design and Longer Battery Life

    Google Pixel Watch Updates: Fresh Design and Longer Battery Life

    Key Takeaways

    1. Wear OS 6 will improve performance and extend battery life by “up to” 10%.
    2. The user interface features a new Material 3 Expressive design with brighter colors and redesigned animations.
    3. Buttons are now aligned closer to the edge of the screen for better space utilization and easier interaction.
    4. Colors can be synchronized between Android 16 and Wear OS 6 for a cohesive look across devices.
    5. Google’s AI assistant Gemini will be integrated into Wear OS, supporting older versions as well.

    Together with the new Material 3 Expressive design of Android 16, Google has just also announced Wear OS 6, the next major operating system update for the Pixel Watch 6 and other selected smartwatches from third-party providers. Wear OS 6 is due to be released later this year and will improve both performance and battery life.

    Enhanced Battery Life

    Google specifically states that the update to Wear OS 6 will extend battery life by “up to” 10%. The revised design is based on Material 3 Expressive with brighter colours, more playful shapes and significantly redesigned animations. The user interface has been further optimized for the Pixel Watch 3’s round display in many places, ranging from app selection, PIN input to incoming notifications.

    Improved Button Layout

    A completely new element is the buttons that are aligned more closely to the edge of the screen so that the available space is used more effectively. This also makes it easier to touch the button for clearing all notifications. As Google demonstrates in the trailer embedded below, colors can be synchronized between Android 16 and Wear OS 6 to match the look of Pixel smartphones and Pixel Watch.

    AI Assistant Upgrade

    Another new feature is that Google’s AI assistant Gemini will also be available on Google Wear OS in future and will support Google Assistant. Gemini will also be released for older Wear OS versions so that users do not necessarily have to switch to the new operating system version to use this feature.

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    Google Pixel Watch Updates: Fresh Design and Longer Battery Life
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