All articles tagged with #wear os
Google Play Services v26.32 introduces Googlebook multi-device setup prompts for PC convergence, expands Tap to Share to include links and location sharing, adds Wear OS location sharing and Wallet age credentials, plus Play Store and WebView enhancements, signaling deeper Android ecosystem integration and groundwork for Googlebooks.
Google says the warning that first‑gen Pixel Watch owners would lose Google Health sync was a bug; legacy Pixel Watch and Fitbit devices remain fully supported, and Google Health requires Wear OS 4 or newer. The erroneous message has been fixed, and users can verify their OS version in Settings.
Google Pixel Watch 5 is pricier with little hardware change from Pixel Watch 4, so Android Authority suggests five alternatives that offer better value: Pixel Watch 4 as the strongest value with long battery life and Gemini support; Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 with a newer SoC, sapphire display, larger battery, and future-ready AI features; Galaxy Watch 7 as a discounted option still receiving updates and sapphire glass; Amazfit Balance 3 for up to 21 days of battery, 64GB storage, and HYROX-focused tools; COROS PACE 4 for a featherweight, long-battery fitness smartwatch with dual-band GPS and training analytics.
Android Central compares Google Pixel Watch 5 and Samsung Galaxy Watch 9, highlighting Pixel Watch 5's longer real-world battery life, Gemini-powered health features, and Google Health Premium, against the Galaxy Watch 9's faster processor and advanced Samsung Health AI metrics; the best pick depends on your preferred health ecosystem and whether you value longevity or processing power, with both offering solid Wear OS experiences.
Motorola's Moto Watch (2026) looks premium and lasts days on a charge, but it runs a low‑power RTOS instead of Wear OS, giving it limited app support and no automatic activity tracking. For $150 you get decent health basics and solid battery life, but with no Google apps, no mobile payments, murky hardware provenance, and spotty GPS, it feels more like a stylish fake Wear OS smartwatch than a true wearable.
Samsung's Galaxy Watch Ultra2 starts at $700 with 64GB storage and two months of Strava/iFIT, delivering a strong Wear OS experience, brighter display, and a feature-rich One UI Watch 9, with around 5 days of heavy-use battery life and up to ~7 days possible by tweaking features. It remains pricey and uses proprietary strap attachments, and some ECG/BP features require Samsung phones. Competing devices include the Apple Watch Ultra 3, Huawei Watch Ultimate 2, and Xiaomi S5 Pro, but Ultra2 stands out for Android users seeking deep OS integration and advanced health tracking, even as a few ecosystem limitations persist.
Samsung's Galaxy Watch Ultra2 refines the original with a thinner, tougher build, a larger brighter display, and a Snapdragon Wear Elite chipset along with a bigger 800mAh battery and new health features like raise-to-speak with Gemini, plus expanded diving modes and ECG. LTE connectivity and rugged MIL-STD-810H design make it a top-tier option for explorers, but the high launch price remains a barrier despite its strong hardware and software package.
Samsung's Galaxy Watch 9 adds new health metrics—Fitness Index, Cardio Load, and a Heart Health Score—along with a faster Snapdragon Wear Elite, but it delivers little battery-life improvement and can show sleep-data gaps. At $379.99 it’s a solid health-focused upgrade only if you need the newest metrics and Gemini AI on your wrist; otherwise the nearly identical Galaxy Watch 8 offers the same experience at a much better value, making Pixel Watch 5 a potential competitor to watch.
Samsung is reportedly developing a smartwatch called Galaxy Aero that runs an RTOS instead of Wear OS, likely priced between the Galaxy Fit 4 and Galaxy Watch FE, with typical sensors and about a week of battery life; Galaxy Aero may be a codename and could launch under a different public name.
Google will remove access to Google Assistant on Android phones and tablets, along with paired devices like Wear OS watches, headphones, and cars running Android Auto, starting September 4, 2026, with the rollout expected to take a few weeks. In regions where Gemini is available, users will have only the AI-enabled assistant. Google Home and Google TV are unaffected for now. The Verge is seeking official confirmation as the change moves Android’s voice assistant into the “Gemini or nothing” era.
Google has begun informing Android users that Google Assistant will be removed from devices starting September 4, with the change rolling out over several weeks and Gemini becoming the default assistant on supported Android devices, Wear OS watches, and compatible headphones; once the switch is applied, users won’t be able to revert to Google Assistant.
Purported marketing materials and a full spec sheet for the Pixel Watch 5 suggest only modest changes from Pixel Watch 4—64GB storage, Wear OS 7, and slightly larger batteries—before Google’s official reveal in New York next week, with prices reportedly higher than the last model.
Samsung Browser on Wear OS-powered Galaxy Watches now lets you download images from webpages by long-pressing an image and selecting Download Image; downloaded images appear in the app’s Downloads, support PNG/JPEG/JPG/GIF up to 10MB, and the feature requires the page to be fully loaded before it works.
Android Authority argues the Pixel Watch 4 remains the better buy over the Galaxy Watch 9 for four reasons: its timeless, comfortable design; a more cohesive Wear OS experience; superior health data via Google Health/Fitbit; and a more trusted heart-rate sensor, with Pixel Watch 5 teased for later this year.
Samsung has extended software support for the Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 to five major Wear OS upgrades plus five years of security updates, likely thanks to the new 3nm Snapdragon Wear Elite chip, meaning updates through 2031; the watches ship with Wear OS 7/One UI 9, start at $380 (Watch 9) and $700 (Ultra 2), and go on sale August 7.