Put on OS 3 is the most recent replace to Google’s smartwatch platform, initially introduced at Google I/O 2021. It is being co-developed through Google and Samsung, the latter of which has followed Put on OS in lieu of its long-time Tizen platform. It brings some notable adjustments in comparison to earlier iterations of Put on OS, which must give it a spice up when in comparison to each Google and Samsung’s efforts within the area, combining the most productive of each corporations.
We first were given a style of what Put on OS 3 can do due to the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, which proved relatively in style. Extra not too long ago, extra smartwatches had been introduced with the device, together with the long-awaited Pixel Watch. From our studies thus far, Put on OS 3 has confirmed to be a wonderfully ok OS that also has room to develop.
Now we have additionally had a couple of Put on OS 2 smartwatches improve to the most recent device, giving the reasonably older {hardware} a brand new rent on existence. Here is what you’ll be able to be expecting from Put on OS 3 while you get it.
Availability & eligible smartwatches
Put on OS 3 is already to be had on a handful of smartwatches, thank you most commonly to the efforts of Samsung. After running with Google at the platform, Samsung used to be the unique release spouse for Put on OS 3 with the Galaxy Watch 4. The smartwatch has been to be had since August 2021 and may also be bought on-line or in particular person via shops and carriers. Extra not too long ago, the corporate has introduced the brand new Galaxy Watch 5 collection, operating the most recent model of Put on OS and One UI Watch, wearing up to date specifications and lines.
Listed below are the watches that release with Put on OS 3 onboard:
Samsung
Montblanc
Fossil Crew
- Gen 6 Wellness Version
- Diesel Griffed Gen 6
Citizen
Then again, whilst extra smartwatches are launching with the device, the replace has in spite of everything began arriving on older smartwatches, too. Those smartwatches are powered through the Qualcomm Snapdragon Put on 4100 chipset, whilst the older Snapdragon Put on 3100 stays incompatible.
Thus far, Fossil Crew has been the one OEM of notice that has up to date its older watches to Put on OS 3. The most recent to obtain the replace used to be the Skagen Sooner Gen 6, which used to be up to date in January 2023. Thus far, the record of smartwatches that experience gained Put on OS 3 comprises the next:
Fossil Crew
- Gen 6
- Razer x Fossil Gen 6
- Michael Kors Gen 6
- Skagen Falster Gen 6
We predict different smartwatches to obtain the replace quickly, even if no main points had been supplied on when those gadgets will probably be up to date. This isn’t an exhaustive record, and extra Put on OS gadgets could also be up to date:
Mobvoi
- TicWatch Professional 3 GPS/LTE
- TicWatch Professional 3 Extremely
- TicWatch E3
Tag Heuer
- Hooked up Caliber E4
- Hooked up Calibre E4 Porsche Version
- Hooked up Golfing Version
Along with the present gadgets being up to date, we think corporations to unencumber new Put on OS 3 smartwatches later this 12 months. Qualcomm additionally introduced its new chipset, the Snapdragon W5 Gen 1, which is ready to offer a significant spice up to Put on OS gadgets. Qualcomm says the chip will carry higher battery existence, stepped forward well being and health monitoring, and plenty of extra enhancements. Mobvoi is predicted to be a number of the first to release a smartwatch with this new chipset, which used to be meant to reach in fall 2022, however has but to be introduced.
Put on OS 3 options
One of the vital greatest adjustments is that the platform will take a equivalent solution to Android with regards to the UI. That suggests OEMs will be capable to adjust the illusion of the UI to offer their smartwatches a singular taste. This would get advantages smartphone OEMs through giving them a technique to fit UI components with their smartphones for a cohesive revel in. Samsung used to be the primary to turn this off with One UI Watch, and we will be expecting that different smartphone OEMs will practice.
Google additionally confirmed off its model of Put on OS 3, which is basically the “inventory” UI. With the Pixel Watch, the corporate published a launcher with pill-shaped apps and rounded playing cards for menu choices, very similar to the format observed on more moderen variations of the Play Retailer, Google Messages, and different Put on OS apps which have been up to date to compare the Put on OS 3 revel in. Google Maps has additionally been overhauled with a brand new UI and capability, making it much less depending on a attached smartphone to paintings.
As we have observed with different Put on OS 3 gadgets, the UI seems in large part equivalent, even if with visible updates and a smother revel in. The short settings menu, for instance, now options extra choices, notifications are richer, and Google Assistant appears to be like cleaner than ever.
There’s a new job switcher, which is able to be capable to temporarily cycle via in-use apps through double-tapping the topmost navigation button at the aspect of the watch. The house display screen may even be capable to show icons for apps operating within the background.
One of the vital giant additions is the addition of Fitbit. A brand new Fitbit app is to be had at the platform, even if the revel in is first of all unique to the Pixel Watch and can exist along Google Have compatibility for now. It is unclear if it’ll in the end exchange Google Have compatibility or when different smartwatches can have get admission to to the app.
One notable addition to Put on OS 3 is the provision of latest apps unique to smartwatches in this model of the device, just like the Google House app, which permits customers to keep watch over their good house gadgets from their wrists. It is recently in public preview, however it sort of feels to paintings most commonly as supposed in our trying out. Google additionally launched a brand new Climate app for Put on OS 3 gadgets or even has a brand new Tile for Google Stay that is unique to the brand new OS.
As of January 2023, Google Assistant isn’t to be had on Put on OS 3 smartwatches powered through Qualcomm processors. This implies at the Pixel Watch and Galaxy Watch 5 collection have get admission to to the AI assistant. Fossil states that Google continues to be running on bettering the revel in for different gadgets.
It must even be famous that watches on Put on OS 3 are not supported through the Put on OS app. Sounds ordinary, however it is because Google is mandating that OEMs make their personal apps for the device. This most likely pertains to Google giving OEMs keep watch over over the UI and necessarily allowing them to keep watch over extra of the revel in. This comprises onboarding, customizations, and different facets of the Put on OS revel in.
Fossil, for instance, has remodeled its Fossil Smartwatches app to paintings with its Put on OS watches along its hybrid smartwatches. Right here, customers can exchange watch faces, view stats, attach a couple of watches, and a lot more. The Pixel Watch additionally has its personal better half app in addition to Samsung’s Galaxy Watch lineup.
One UI Watch
A few of these new Put on OS 3 options are already to be had at the Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 5 collection. Then again, as a result of it is Samsung’s One UI Watch, you might be getting an overly Galaxy-centric revel in. That suggests whilst a lot of Google’s products and services are to be had, so are Samsung’s. That suggests you get get admission to to Samsung Pay along side Google Pay and Samsung Well being along Google Have compatibility. Some options are unique to Samsung’s products and services, such because the watch’s ECG sensor.
So far as the UI, it intently fits what you can to find on a Samsung smartphone, right down to the settings menu. Some settings may even translate from the watch to the smartphone and vice versa. For instance, your clock will show the other time zones throughout gadgets, and blocked contacts may even sync. Navigation may be reasonably other; swiping from the ground brings up the app drawer, identical to on a smartphone, whilst notifications are accessed through swiping from the left pass the house display screen.
One to hand characteristic to be had on One UI Watch is having apps downloaded to your smartphone robotically put in to your smartwatch, assuming there is an present model to be had. This expands at the Play Retailer’s capacity to put in apps to your watch at once out of your smartphone.
One of the vital greatest contemporary additions to One UI Watch is Google Assistant fortify, permitting customers to default to Google’s AI assistant in case Bixby is not to their liking. Assistant fortify introduced in Might 2022 at the Galaxy Watch 4 as a downloadable app with a brand new UI and sooner responses.
The corporate not too long ago introduced One UI Watch 4.5 in response to Put on OS 3.5. Whilst we do not know precisely what is a part of Put on OS 3.5, Samsung launched a lot of new options for its Galaxy Watch as a part of One UI Watch 4.5. This features a QWERTY keyboard, improvements to audio output, dual-SIM fortify, and extra.
For now, Samsung’s One UI Watch is the one Put on OS 3 pores and skin to be had, however it offers a good suggestion of what we will be expecting from different smartphone OEMs with customized Android skins. We would possibly in the end be informed extra about what those OEMs have in retailer for his or her flavors of Put on OS 3, even if thus far no OEMs have introduced plans to release smartwatches operating Google’s platform.
What we need to see
Thus far, what we have observed from Put on OS 3 has us lovely thinking about the way forward for Google’s wearable platform. However there are nonetheless issues that we want the corporate would undertake because it reaches extra smartwatches, together with fortify for simple backup and repair.
While you transfer smartphones paired for your Put on OS tool, you necessarily must reset your smartwatch and undergo the entire setup procedure. That suggests redownloading the apps you had, uninstalling those you do not want, and adjusting your settings simply how you prefer them. So it could be great to have the watch subsidized up at the Put on OS app to expedite the method in some way.
Samsung is the one corporate that we could customers backup and repair their watches by means of the Galaxy Put on app, and we listen Google is making ready a equivalent backup procedure by means of Google One.
We might additionally like to look extra complicated well being options around the platform. Thus far, Samsung has one of the crucial maximum complicated monitoring options we have observed on a Put on OS smartwatch. Google brings Fitbit into the combination, so expectantly, we will see this come to extra smartwatches. Citizen comprises some promising tech borrowed from NASA analysis, and expectantly, it lives as much as its claims.
Affordability is one thing that may assist adoption. Our Jerry Hildenbrand issues out how letting OEMs mess with the UI to make Put on OS their very own would possibly assist save the platform through bringing the associated fee down. Now we have observed gadgets just like the Mobvoi TicWatch E3 achieve $199 or even decrease if you’ll be able to to find it at a bargain. If and when corporations like Motorola, which is understood for making one of the crucial easiest price range Android telephones, release new Put on OS gadgets, it is usually a recipe for making Google’s platform a lot more obtainable.
Possibly the largest factor we need to see around the platform is best battery existence. Google promised to beef up in this when Put on OS 3 used to be introduced, however thus far, the Galaxy Watch 4 hasn’t lived as much as the hype. The Galaxy Watch 5 collection does a little bit higher, however even the Pixel Watch frequently falls quick with its 24-hour battery existence. In the meantime, different gadgets just like the Mobvoi TicWatch Professional 3 Extremely can simply final a couple of days whilst nonetheless operating the older Put on OS 2. Google must make Put on OS environment friendly sufficient to just do that with out OEMs desiring to stuff massive, cumbersome batteries or secondary shows into their watches.
Hopefully, the following technology of smartwatches operating the brand new Qualcomm W5+ Gen 1 chip gets a pleasing spice up in battery existence.
The brand new Pixel Watch is the most recent and most likely biggest Put on OS 3 smartwatch you’ll be able to purchase. It options a complicated well being sensor and Fitbit integration that will help you stay observe of your objectives.