Wear OS 3 Archives - Gizmochina

Wear OS 3 update announced for Mobvoi TicWatches

Aditya Rasik — Wed, 13 Dec 2023 04:53:01 +0000

Back in Summer 2021, Mobvoi revaled that Wear OS 2 would be replaced by Wear OS 3 for its smartwatches based on the Snapdragon Wear 4100. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen; it also missed the next, modified release window that was supposed to occur in Q3 of 2023.

Following months of speculation and excitement, the company has finally announced the upcoming release of the Wear OS 3 upgrade, which they hope will improve the TicWatch experience for their valued customers. The TicWatch Pro 3 Ultra GPS, TicWatch Pro 3 Ultra, TicWatch Pro 3 GPS, TicWatch Pro 3 LTE, and TicWatch E3 are among the prior TicWatch models to receive this upgrade from the firm.

Wear OS 3 update rolling out for Mobvoi TicWatches

Users must make sure that the build number on their current watch corresponds to one of the following in order to update to Wear OS 3:

PMRB.220703.001
PMKB.211102.004
PMKB.211102.002
PMRL.220704.001

Note: Before upgrading, make sure your phone can run the Mobvoi Health app on Android. Install the app from Google Play; if you get alerts about incompatibility, your phone probably doesn’t support it.

For Android users, choose an Android phone with the Google Play Store and Google Play services (GMS) pre-installed that is running AndroidT 8.0 and higher (not Go edition or phones without the original Google Play Store) to update to Wear OS 3.

For iOS users, install the Health Copilot app on your iPhone by going to the App Store. Must take notice that iPhones running iOS 16 and later can use the Health Copilot app. Next, connect the freshly downloaded Health Copilot app to your iPhone and link it with your upgraded watch.

As of right now, there aren’t any further details regarding the update. However, according to the company, Wear OS 3 could not roll out to all compatible smartwatches until the first quarter of 2024.

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(Source)

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Google releases Gmail app for Wear OS

Rajesh — Thu, 05 Oct 2023 15:00:31 +0000

Google has been improving Wear OS with a variety of new features, and apps. In line with these improvements, the company has just announced the Gmail app specifically designed for Wear OS smartwatches. The app allows users to manage their Gmail inboxes directly on their wrists.

As reported by Android Police, Gmail for Wear OS is now available for download from the Google Play Store and works on all smartwatches running Wear OS 3 or 4. With this app, users can now view their inbox, read and reply to emails, and switch between multiple accounts right from their wrists.

Prior to this release, Wear OS users could only receive Gmail notifications—just like they could receive notifications from any other app—and take basic actions such as archiving, replying, or deleting emails.

Moreover, as per 9to5Google, the app also supports a watch face complication that shows new emails. This doesn’t show all of your unread emails, but only the ones that have arrived recently.

In addition to the Gmail app, Google has also been working to bring other apps to WearOS, such as Google Calendar. However, it isn’t live yet, and the company hasn’t revealed when it plans to release it. We hope Google releases more native apps for Wear OS smartwatches.

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WhatsApp for Wear OS smartwatches is now rolling out

Soumyakanti — Thu, 20 Jul 2023 11:11:55 +0000

WhatsApp has officially launched the stable version of its dedicated app for smartwatches running Wear OS 3 and above. The announcement comes after a beta version was rolled out a few months ago. This new app first teased at Google I/O 2023, enables users to stay connected with others even without their smartphones.

The Future of Messaging: WhatsApp Officially on Smartwatches with Wear OS

The app proves particularly useful for LTE-capable smartwatches with eSIM support, as it allows users to leverage cellular connectivity. It offers various interaction options, including voice messages, emojis, regular text, and quick replies. Prior to this release, Wear OS users could only reply to WhatsApp messages without the ability to send voice messages.

According to the Verge, this timing aligns strategically with the upcoming launch of Samsung’s next-gen Galaxy Watch 6 series on July 26. Samsung and Google have been collaborating to improve Wear OS, and the addition of popular apps like WhatsApp is expected to attract more Android users, contributing to customer retention.

It’s worth noting that there is still no dedicated WhatsApp app available for Apple Watches. However, WhatsApp has expanded its platform support significantly, offering apps for phones, Android tablets, desktops, and the web.

As per India Today, WhatsApp Chief Will Cathcart confirmed the rollout and functionality of the new app in a post on Meta’s Threads app. Mark Zuckerberg applauded the move, signaling Meta’s support for the development.

Meta has also introduced new features recently to enhance the overall messaging experience on WhatsApp. Users can now send texts without the need to save numbers, streamlining the process of initiating conversations.

Additionally, users can personalize their appearances during Messenger and Instagram Video Calls with Animated Meta Avatars, adding a touch of fun and creativity to their interactions.

As WhatsApp expands its presence in the wearable market, it opens up new possibilities for users to stay connected and communicate seamlessly from their smartwatches. With the combination of Wear OS’s improved functionality and WhatsApp’s dedicated app, users can enjoy a more integrated and convenient messaging experience on their wrist, further blurring the boundaries between smartphones and wearables.

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(Via 1,2)

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Watchfaces for the upcoming Google Pixel Watch revealed via Wear OS 3.0 emulator

Jeet — Thu, 16 Dec 2021 09:33:46 +0000

After making its own Pixel-branded smartphones for years, Google is now finally gearing up to launch its own smartwatch in the market, dubbed Pixel Watch. Ahead of the launch, many details about the upcoming device have surfaced online.

Now, it appears that more details about the Pixel Watch have been revealed, including the watchfaces through the Android Studio emulator image that Google published earlier this year for Wear OS 3.0.

Currently, the emulator in Android Studio is the only way to experience what the stock version of Wear OS 3 will be like on future watches. The 9to5Google team found a video within the emulator that shows a variety of watch faces that will be available on an upcoming Wear OS device.

About 10 different watchfaces have been revealed, including one that shows Fitbit logo. Two of these watchfaces were also seen on the renders of the Pixel Watch. This further indicates that the leaked watchfaces will make their way to the actual smartwatch and are not just for demo purposes.

Based on the previous leaks, the upcoming Pixel Watch will have a minimal bezel and a slight curve and feature a physical button. It is expected to come powered by a custom-made SoC that will be manufactured by Samsung using the 5nm process.

It will be running the latest Wear OS 3.0 as the operating system which is a merged version of the Wear OS based on Android and Samsung’s Tizen OS. The South Korean giant’s Galaxy Watch4 and Watch4 Classic were the first devices to run this new version of the wearable operating system.

Updated Wear OS 3.0 emulator image released with visual changes

Sudarshan Ravichandran — Wed, 15 Dec 2021 09:28:14 +0000

Earlier this year at Google I/O 2021, the search giant made its initial announcement regarding the new Wear OS 3.0 co-developed by itself, Samsung, and Fitbit. The software made its debut on the Galaxy Watch4 series, however, with Samsung’s One UI skin on top of it. Now, months later, we finally get to see how the latest Wear OS appears in its original form.

According to a Redditor (via XDA Developers), Google has released a new version of the Wear OS 3.0 emulator image. The newly uploaded image bears a build date of November 17.

For the unaware, the previous release of the image was months older than the Galaxy Watch4 lineup. The older build included Material You elements, an updated app drawer, and a new quick settings menu.

Whereas, the latest release comes with a new brightness slider, more gradients and toggles on the Settings page, and icons on the recent screen. As you can see from the screenshots, the stock Wear OS 3.0 resembles Tizen, which is not surprising as Samsung has merged its wearable OS with that of Googe’s.

OEMs like the Fossil Group and Mobvoi are not known for using a heavy skin on top of Wear OS. Hence, Wear OS 3.0 on smartwatches from these companies should look near-identical to the screenshots attached above.

Wear OS 3.0 is expected to roll out for non-Samsung smartwatches in the mid to second half of 2022. Since we are still months away from that, the software could go through even more changes before its final release.

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Fossil Gen 6 launches with a $299 starting price, Snapdragon Wear 4100+, and the old Wear OS 2

Habeeb Onawole — Mon, 30 Aug 2021 17:46:40 +0000

After announcing the Gen 5 in 2019, Fossil has announced its successor today which is dubbed the Gen 6. The new smartwatch brings key upgrades including a more powerful processor but doesn’t ship with the latest version of Wear OS.

The Fossil Gen 6’s main upgrade is the new Snapdragon Wear 4100+, one of two chipsets Qualcomm announced last year for smartwatches. The smartwatch is the first to feature this new chip. Fossil says that the new processor brings a performance improvement of up to 30% when compared to the Gen 5. Users should see faster app load times and reduced power consumption.

Another new feature is the addition of a blood oxygen level monitor (SpO2 sensor). The watch also has a 24-hour heart rate that provides continuous heart rate monitoring. Fossil claims the sensor has been improved and it works better in more situations.

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The Fossil Gen 6 has Google Assistant built-in, so with the “Ok Google” wake word, you can ask questions, control smart home devices, and set reminders. There is also support for Google Pay, music playback control, and the ability to make and receive calls when connected to a smartphone. Unfortunately, the smartwatch runs the older Wear OS 2 out of the box. If you don’t mind waiting until next year, you will get the Wear OS 3 update.

Fossil Gen 6 Specs

1.28-inch AMOLED screen with a 416 x 416 resolution
1GB RAM
8GB storage
Snapdragon Wear 4100+
Bluetooth 5.0
NFC SE
Wi-Fi
Off-body IR, Gyroscope
PPG heart rate sensor
Accelerometer, altimeter, ambient light sensor, compass, gyroscope
3 ATM water resistance

The Fossil Gen 6 has a round dial and comes in a variety of designs. Buyers will be able to choose from 10 different configurations which start at $299 and go up to $319. Fossil also has straps in different colors and designs for the different configurations available. Fossil is already taking pre-orders and it says shipping will happen close to September 27.

Google reveals Wear OS 3 is the official name of its unified platform, coming to select current-gen watches

Habeeb Onawole — Thu, 22 Jul 2021 20:42:27 +0000

Lots of folks are excited about the new unified platform that is a fusion of Samsung’s Tizen OS and Wear OS. Since the operating system was announced back in May during Google I/O 2021, its official name has been kept under wraps until today.

A post published earlier today by Google has revealed that the unified platform will be officially known as Wear OS 3.0. It also revealed that the new version of the OS will be available as a system update to previous generation of smartwatches though that list is very limited.

Google says that the update will bring lots of new experiences and that the extent of these changes will require that users reset their watch to factory settings. Based on the aforementioned reason, Google says that it expects some users may not want to update to Wear OS 3, so it will make the upgrade available to users of eligible devices on an opt-in basis. Unfortunately, Google says that the update should begin to roll out “starting in mid to second half of 2022.”

The list of eligible devices is pretty short and includes Mobvoi’s TicWatch Pro 3 GPS, TicWatch Pro 3 LTE, TicWatch E3, and other upcoming TicWatch devices. It also includes Fossil’s next-gen smartwatches coming later this year. In a nutshell, the supported devices are those powered by the Snapdragon Wear 4100.

Also, save for the Samsung Galaxy Watch4 series and the Pixel Watch, other smartwatches will most likely launch with the old version of Wear OS until the OS upgrade is available next year.

Google concludes by saying that older watches that can’t be upgraded will receive new features too such as Gboard and the revamped Play Store.