Last updated: October 12, 2022 at 11:26 UTC+02:00
Google launched the Pixel Watch a few days ago. The watch is certainly another option for smartwatch buyers who want a different Wear OS device than the Galaxy Watches, the best Android watches you can get right now. Additionally, the launch of the Pixel Watch is also huge for Wear OS as the OS was released in partnership with Samsung last year. The team behind Wear OS has now released an exciting update.
The director of product management for Wear OS, Björn Kilburn, spoke to Wired and revealed that Google aims to “release a new version of Wear OS every year in a similar way to mobile”. This means that owners of Wear OS watches will get a new firmware update every year, just like they receive one on their Android smartphones.
However, it’s a little unclear whether that annual update means we’ll have to get Wear OS 3.0 to Wear OS 4.0 or Wear OS 3.0 to Wear OS 3.5, as we had for Galaxy Watches and the Pixel Watch this year. The annual update may have arisen from the fact that Google wants to make sure that the latest Android features are also released for smartwatches.
Wear OS 3 updates for older smartwatches are expected this year
As noted by 9To5Google, Kilburn refers to “quarterly Wear updates to provide ‘new experiences’ throughout the year.” This may mean the Feature Drops that the Pixel Watch gets or the ones released for Android watches. On the other hand, Wear OS 3 updates are the responsibility of the watch manufacturers rather than Google.
When asked when the Wear OS 3 update will arrive for owners of Wear OS 2 watches, Google stated that Wear OS 3 updates for Snapdragon Wear 4100 and 4100+ powered smartwatches are still expected later this year. However, the device must be reset. Google also added that it is “absolutely committed” to Wear OS, and the team is working on several aspects, such as improving battery life.
In addition to some Wear OS updates, Samsung will definitely add some more features and improvements through the One UI for Watch interface. So we’re excited about Samsung’s Galaxy Watches and the new features they’ll be getting every year.