Pixel Watch 1 and Watch 2 Get Wear OS 5; Here’s What’s New
Around a month ago, Google launched thePixel Watch 3withWear OS 5, bringing several improvements to the wearable platform including better battery life, changes to watch faces, etc. It looks like Wear OS 5 is now rolling out to Pixel Watch 2 and Pixel Watch 1. So, here’s everything you need to know about the features and improvements the update brings.
One of the most awaited features on older Pixel Watches was the grid launcher. It’s finally here with the Wear OS 5 update. Besides, there’s anew Privacy Dashboardoption inSettings>Apps & Notifications. This allows users to see all permissions of apps installed on their watch.
Wear OS 5 also brings a new Watch Face Format which Google co-created with Samsung. In layman’s terms, it uses XML format rather than executable code. This way, watch face developers won’t have to worry about battery optimizations or performance, thereby improving battery life.
Other improvements include the ability toselect a media output devicefrom the watch andmore health metricstracking, thanks to the Health Services. You also getimproved camera controlsfor Google Camera to control more features of your Pixel device’s camera.
Lastly, Pixel Watch 3’sVoice Recorder appis now available toinstallon the Pixel Watch 1 and 2.
I was hoping Google would bring features such as Auto Bedtime mode, Readiness Score without Fitbit Premium, and other features announced at thePixel Watch 3launch, but I guess it’s too soon. I’m hoping they arrive in future Pixel feature drops and don’t just remain Pixel Watch 3 exclusive.
The update gave me a bit of trouble initially, as my Pixel Watch 2 was constantly bootlooping after I installed it. I had to factory reset it from the recovery, but everything’s been pretty solid so far.
What are your thoughts on Wear OS 5? What features do you think it needs to compete with other wearable platforms like Watch OS orSamsung’s One UI Watch? Let us know in the comments below.
Abubakar Mohammed
Abubakar covers Tech on Beebom. Hailing from a Computer Science background, the start of his love for Tech dates back to 2011, when he was gifted a Dell Inspiron 5100. When he’s not covering Tech, you’ll find him binge-watching anime and Tech content on YouTube, hunting heads in competitive FPS games, or exploring Teyvat in Genshin Impact. He has previously worked for leading publications such as Fossbytes, How-To Geek, and Android Police.
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