Tag: wear os

OnePlus Watch 2 to Arrive With Support for Improved Battery-Efficient Notification System on Wear OS 4

Wear OS 4 has reportedly received a tweak that can significantly improve the battery life of smartwatches that run on Google’s operating system. It will modify how notifications are processed by sending them to a different system, that is expected to improve the device’s battery performance. The OnePlus Watch 2, which was unveiled on Monday at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2024, will be the first smartwatch that will support the improved functionality that could arrive on devices in the future.

Until now, notifications on Wear OS have been processed and managed by the application processor (AP) which handles tasks requiring more computational processing. As a result, displaying notifications also results in more power being consumed. On the other hand, tasks requiring less power such as step counting and heart rate monitoring are handled by a separate microcontroller unit (MCU). The Verge reports that Google will allow manufacturers to move the notification system to the MCU on Wear OS 4, and that will significantly reduce the amount of battery consumption that occurs when notifications are flashed.

The report highlights that the functionality was specifically designed for the OnePlus Watch 2, however, it is now going to be expanded to more smartwatches as well. Bjorn Kilburn, Vice President of Wear OS at Google told the publication that other companies will also be able to use this capability. This means going forward, showing notifications, dismissing them, or quickly replying to them will all be handled by the MCU. For the end user, this change is not likely to be visually noticeable, but they will be able to see the difference in terms of a longer-lasting battery cycle.

The OnePlus Watch 2 was showcased on Monday at MWC. The company’s latest smartwatch sports a 1.43-inch round AMOLED display and is powered by a Snapdragon W5 chipset as well as a BES2700 chip or background activity. It is backed by a 500mAh battery with 7.5W charging support. The OnePlus Watch 2 is priced at Rs. 24,999 and will go on sale starting March 4 via Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, OnePlus online store, Reliance Digital, Croma, and other offline stores.

On Monday, Google also announced two more Wear OS features. Google Wallet passes have finally been made available on Wear OS and users will be able to access different kinds of passes directly from their smartwatches. Second, Google Maps for Wear OS can now show public transit directions to help users catch a bus, a train, or a ferry.

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For details of the latest launches and news from Samsung, Xiaomi, Realme, OnePlus, Oppo and other companies at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, visit our MWC 2024 hub.

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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5, Watch 6 Series Pre-Order Offers Tipped; Samsung Teases Upcoming Galaxy Watch Features

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Galaxy Watch 6 series pre-order deals have been leaked online, days ahead of the company’s next launch event. The second Galaxy Unpacked event of 2023 will be held in South Korea and the firm is expected to unveil new foldable phones, a new tablet and smartwatch series, and a new pair of true wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds. Meanwhile, Samsung has unveiled new software features coming to existing and upcoming smartwatch models, including a new temperature app and support for displaying tickets and passes.

Tipster Evan Blass recently posted details of the upcoming Galaxy Watch 6 and Watch 6 Classic (via GSMArena) to Threads, stating that customers who pre-order the next generation smartwatches from Samsung will get a fabric band at no additional cost. Samsung is yet to officially reveal details of the Watch 6 and Watch 6 Classic pricing and availability. Meanwhile, Blass claims that customers who pre-book the Galaxy Z Flip 5 will receive an upgrade with double the storage capacity at no extra cost.

With only a few days to go before Samsung’s next Galaxy Unpacked event — scheduled to take place in South Korea for the first time on July 26 — the company has begun to reveal some of the new features it is bringing to existing models and its upcoming wearable devices.

This year, Samsung Wallet is coming to Galaxy Watch models with support for making payments, display identity cards, and quickly access tickets for shows without unlocking their smartphone. Meanwhile, a new Thermo Check app for the Galaxy Watch 6 and Galaxy Watch 5 series will allow users to check the temperature of different objects and locations such as their meals, or water in a swimming pool — without any contact. The app will utilise the temperature sensor on their Galaxy Watch, according to the company. 

Finally, Samsung has also confirmed that the Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 5 series will also support WhatsApp’s new smartwatch app. Released by the Meta-owned messaging service on Wednesday, WhatsApp for Wear OS allows users to continue conversations, send voice messages, and take calls using the smartwatch on their wrist.

Will the Nothing Phone 2 serve as the successor to the Phone 1, or will the two co-exist? We discuss the company’s recently launched handset and more on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
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Google Wear OS May Get Smartwatch Backup Support When Switching to New Device: Report

As more and more Wear OS devices have started to enter the market, American tech giant Google’s efforts to improve the overall experience on Android devices have been revealed in the latest APK teardown of its Play Services app.

According to an app teardown done by XDA-Developers, new strings in the beta version 22.32.12 build of the Google Play Services app revealed that the company is preparing to add support for backing up smartwatch data when switching to a new device.

One of the strings was titled: ‘companion_backup_opt_in_title’ which contained the prompts: ‘Back up your device with Google One/ Backup by Google One/ Choose backup account’.

Currently, when switching a Wear OS smartwatch to a new Android smartphone, users are required to factory reset the watch. Adding an option to back up the device would make it a much smoother experience.

What’s interesting is the mention of Google One, a paid Google subscription. Settings and management of Google’s device data backups for Android and iOS are found in the Google One app, though a Google One subscription isn’t required to use the feature.

Google One subscribers pay for extra storage on their Google Account so Google would not put a feature like this behind a paywall, as per the report.

Recently, Google also reportedly started rolling out updates for its Camera apps on both Android and Wear OS. The Google Camera app for Pixel devices gets minor updates, but the Wear OS app, which basically functions like a remote control for Pixel owners, gets some big updates and a complete redesign from the previous version. The camera app on the Wear OS has been due for an update for a while now. Google is also expected to launch its new Pixel Watch, which will run the latest Wear OS, in the coming months.

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Google I/O 2022 Starts Today: How to Watch, What to Expect

Google I/O 2022 is kicking off today, and just like the past years, you can watch its livestream. The Google I/O 2022 keynote featuring Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai, and his core team, is expected to bring the key announcements, such as the launch of new hardware including an affordable Pixel phone as well as advancements and improvements coming to Android and Wear OS. Shortly after the main keynote, Google will hold a developer-focussed keynote where we are expected to see some detailed information about the company’s prime software updates.

How to watch Google I/O 2022 livestream in India and around the world

Google I/O 2022 will take place as a two-day event, starting with the keynote that will begin at 1pm ET (10:30pm IST) today. The developer-centric event will be held at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California. However, Google will livestream the conference for its worldwide audience. The event — including the main keynote — will be livestreamed through Google’s social media channels. While the keynote will be livestreamed for all, developers who want to virtually attend specific sessions and the developer-focussed keynote following the main keynote need to register on the Google I/O site.

You can watch the Google I/O 2022 keynote live from the video embedded below.

What all to expect at Google I/O 2022

Just like past years, this year’s Google I/O conference will detail the company’s latest developments towards its operating systems including Android and Wear OS. The rumour mill has also suggested that we could see some hardware-focussed announcements at the event.

Android 13
At Google I/O 2022, we can expect Google to explain its new advancements and improvements in Android 13. The operating system, which is the successor to last year’s Android 12, received its first developer preview in February. It is likely to get an Apple-like spatial audio feature for Pixel 6 models as well as two carrier connections on a single eSIM, per previous reports.

Wear OS
In addition to Android 13, Wear OS is likely to get an update with a list of enhancements and improvements that we can expect at this year’s Google I/O. Google last year announced its partnership with Samsung for integrating Tizen within Wear OS. We could see some new moves at that end.

Pixel 6a
At this year’s I/O keynote, Google is expected to repeat its 2019 take and unveil the Pixel 6a as its new affordable smartphone. The phone is speculated to have Google’s Tensor chip — similar to the existing Pixel 6 models. It is also expected to have the Pixel 6-like back design, a retail box surfaced online has suggested. The new Pixel phone may, however, lack some of the features that were exclusive to the Pixel 6 series. Normally, Google uses its I/O conferences to detail software and Web technologies, though it did make a change in 2019 when it announced the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL as its two affordable smartphones.

Pixel Watch
Alongside the Pixel 6a, the Pixel Watch is expected to debut at Google I/O 2022 keynote later today. The rumour mill has suggested that Google is working on its own smartwatch hardware for some time. It is speculated to have a circular design and run the latest Wear OS version. It could also come with a Fitbit integration for enhanced fitness tracking support.

Pixel Buds Pro
Google is tipped to launch the Pixel Buds Pro alongside the Pixel 6a and Pixel Watch at this year’s I/O keynote. The new truly wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds by the Android maker are said to be available in Carbon, Fog, Limoncello, and Real Red colours.

Google Assistant improvements
This year’s Google I/O is also expected to bring some new improvements to Google Assistant — to make it a better option against Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri. There could also be some enhancements specifically to uplift your smart home experience.

Google Search advancements
At the I/O 2022 keynote, Google is expected to announce some of its tweaks to improve search results. These changes are expected to leverage the company’s artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning advancements.

Other updates
If we go by the historical records, Google is likely to announce updates to Google Maps, Photos, and Gmail at this year’s I/O conference. We may also see the company bringing back its Wallet app to complement Google Pay. Furthermore, there could be some special announcements around Google’s plans to work on Web 3 and develop next-generation apps and experiences for metaverse.

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