With significant performance improvements and features, Samsung released the One UI Watch 5 Beta for the Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 5 Series. These features include a new watch face, new health tracking features, better battery life, personalized heart rate zones, customization, and more. These are the first smartwatches to receive an update to Android 13, and the update is based on Wear OS powered by Android 13. Previous versions of One UI Watch were based on Wear OS 3. x powered by Android 11, an older operating system version.
Android 12-based Wear OS is the latest Android operating system for smartwatches. It is still one version behind phones, tablets, and TVs. However, Wear OS 14 will skip Android 12. It’s too early to say why Google skipped Android 12 for OS 4, but it is expected to bring significant improvements and features.
One UI Watch 5 is based on Android 13’s Wear OS 4.
Google debuted Wear OS with Android 8.0, Wear OS 2.2, based on Android 9, and Wear OS 3, which were co-developed with Samsung to unify its Tizen-based smartwatch platform with Wear OS. With Wear OS 4, Google can independently add the latest features to Wear OS, such as the new visual design inspired by Android 12 and Fitbit exercise tracking.
Wear OS 4 has practical innovations, utilizing the Material You style with colorful and customizable options. A few new features have been debuted, as it uses the same base as the previous version, which is available with an update. The One UI Watch 5 beta is available in Korea and the US, offering new faces, tiles, Bud’s controller, quick access to the timer, setting albums, staying as your watch face, and more.
The underlying codebase of Wear OS 3.0 was upgraded to Android 11, and users can expect a new version of Wear OS every year, just like Android’s mobile OS. It is expected to be rolled out to other Wear OS smartwatches. Wear OS has improved since Samsung switched from Tizen to Wear OS in partnership with Google.
Material for smartwatches, like the Google Pixel
Launching this fall, Material You is a Google design principle that allows users to customize their mobile experience with a preferred color palette, making it easier to see across apps and widgets for smartwatches. Material You for smartwatches means users can change colors to match the watch face’s hue and represent a visual layout in Google’s design for consistency.
The dynamic theming will also apply Android’s Material You color scheme across the Wear OS UI, enabling icons in settings and other elements in the UI to be accented in the color of the watch face. Wear OS 4 will make it easier to customize the watch according to the user’s preferences and improve battery performance and text-to-speech. Recently, Google standardized the watch face format. Material You was first added with Android 12, released in 2021, and is now expanding to Wear OS-based One UI 5.
Google keeps getting WearOS tiles.
As previously announced, Google has updated its note-taking app for Wear OS smartwatches. The company has made the app compatible with the Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 5 series. The update can be found in the Google Play Store on the Wear OS Watch, and the tile can be added to the watch face, allowing users to quickly access their notes. Choosing the Note option shows the pinned note first, followed by four lines of text per note or list, which is limited in terms of background colors.
Users can also add images to notes, which are easier to access by swiping left or right on the watch face. Multiple tiles can also be added to a single note for quick access. However, the company did not add an AOD mode. A similar single-note widget has also been added, showing that Google is improving WearOS. Users can open the entire note with a single tap and add a reminder, pin, or archive, which does not allow them to access the main feed.
Google began rolling out the update earlier this week. The tile includes two buttons for creating a new note or a list, a browser button for syncing, and the Google Keep logo at the top of the page. This shows Google’s commitment to modernizing the old app, presumably ahead of the Pixel Watch this fall, utilizing Tile’s Material Library.
Google Home for Wear OS was redesigned and is now rolling out to the Galaxy Watch 4 and 5 with new features, including favourites, media controls, and more.
Google has been focusing on its smartwatch platform for the past few years. As part of this effort, the company has launched a redesigned Google Home app for Wear OS. The new app brings a new home screen, a settings menu, and ways to control your smart home devices. It aims to make it easier for users to control their smart homes from their wrists. The app also fixes major issues and improves overall stability and performance.
Google announced this during the I/O event. The Google Home app has also been updated with a five-tab layout to make things easier and give better control of devices. The app now supports more devices, including those paired with Matter. The new Google Home app is now available for everyone on Android and iOS devices.
Redesigned Home App on Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 5
The redesigned Home App with significant functionality updates is rolling out to the Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 5. It is now available for smartwatches running Wear OS. To update your watch to the latest version, open System, then head over to System Update and follow the instructions. The redesigned Home App includes several changes. Let’s take a closer look at them one by one.
Animated camera notification preview
This update includes an animated camera notification preview for Nest Cams and Doorbells. You can access it with a tile at the top of Quick Settings or by placing the app on your WatchOS. This feature is currently in preview and is expected to roll out with future updates.
Control
Users can now more easily control their smart home devices. The app gives you more control over temperature, switches modes, and adjusts the brightness of your bright lights.
Favorites
The new app has a new Favourites section from which you can control the smart home devices saved on Google Home for Android and iOS. The Favourites section shows up to five devices and automations or routines. To see more devices or automation, you need to click on the “View All” button.
Media Control & Playback
The Google Home app on WearOS now allows users to control media playback on compatible smart speakers, displays, and TVs with the next track, pause/play, previous track, and volume adjustments buttons to control the playback of their media. You can also lock or unlock supported devices from the app.
Device, Setting, and Control
A new device button appears at the bottom, showing all your smart home devices arranged by room. A setting button will take you to the account settings and legal information page. Another is the new app offer page, which gives more controls for lights and thermostats, including brightness and color for intelligent lights and switching modes. The device lists groups by room, similar to the previous main feed, Autoamtions (for those in public preview), and Settings (for Accounts and Legal).
Media Control & Playback
The Google Home app on WearOS now allows users to control media playback on compatible smart speakers, displays, and TVs. The app provides buttons for the next track, pause/play, previous track, and volume adjustments to control the playback of your media. You can also lock or unlock supported devices from the app.
Devices, Settings, and Controls
A new device button appears at the bottom of the screen, showing all your smart home devices arranged by room. A Settings button will take you to the account settings and legal information page. Another new feature is the app offer page, which gives you more controls for lights and thermostats, including brightness and color for intelligent lights and switching modes. The device list also groups things by rooms and is similar to the previous main feed, automation (for those in public preview), and Settings (for Accounts and Legal) buttons.