Wear OS 4is only a year old, but rumors are circulating that Google may release Wear OS 5 as early as this fall. It’s not typical for the company to push out new versions of its watch operating system so quickly, but leaks suggest that may just be the case this time around. Those leaks haven’t provided much information about what we may expect from the new OS, but we’ve been dreaming up what we would like to see in the next edition.
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4Better battery life
Less time spent charging is always better
Unfortunately, smartwatches are often hampered by short battery life, a problem that limits their usability for many. While it’s true that battery life is largely determined by the hardware, the software also plays a significant role. It’s very feasible that Google could introduce operating system efficiencies in Wear OS 5 that could prolong a watch’s life on a single charge without necessitating a hardware upgrade. Any improvement that results in less frequent trips to the charger is appreciated, so we hope that this is a focus in the new OS.
Unfortunately, smartwatches are often hampered by short battery life, a problem that limits their usability for many.
3Google Assistant on all Wear OS watches
Give us access to this simple, hands-free tool
Oddly enough, Google Assistant is not on every watch with Wear OS. It’s on many, yes, but it isn’t available across the board, even though it’s an incredibly useful tool. It allows you to do things hands-free, such as set timers or alarms, check the weather, and more. There are a lot of reasons to want access to hands-free controls, whether for easier navigation over dealing with the watch face, your phone isn’t readily accessible, or because your hands are busy with other things. Extending this basic tool across all Wear OS watches would be very appreciated and beneficial.
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2Safety features on all Wear OS watches
Safety tools should be for everyone
Google added some safety features to the Pixel Watch series, but unfortunately, those didn’t make their way to other Wear OS watches. Safety Check is one such feature, which allows you to set a check-in timer and automatically shares your location with emergency contacts if you don’t check-in by that designated time. Emergency Sharing is another key safety feature, which shares real-time location with contacts of your choosing.
Given how critical safety features can be, they should be available to all Wear OS users, not just certain watches.
These safety features could be life-saving. Even if they don’t need to be used, as a female who typically hikes or runs only with a dog, being able to access safety features like those gives me and my husband peace of mind when I’m out and about. Given how critical safety features can be, they should be available to all Wear OS users, not just certain watches.
1More Fitbit features
Better health and fitness tracking, please
Like the two above, Fitbit features are only available on Pixel Watches. The software is there, so it would be nice to have that availability extended. Sure, there are other third-party fitness apps, and Google Fit, but Fitbit’s health tracking stands out from many of those. Fitbit even requires a subscription to access most of its features, so it’s not like Google wouldn’t make money by making that more widely available.
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