Wearable AI isn't a new concept. The Humane pin and Rabbit R1 tried to make futuristic, portable AI assistants a "thing." Their notorious failure hurt that idea, but didn't kill it, as CES 2026 proved. At least a dozen tech brands, most notably Lenovo, pushed a specific AI concept: small wearable gadgets that record and transcribe everything around you, to remember later.

People have accepted AI wearables like Ray-Ban Meta glasses or smartwatches, with familiar form factors and features besides AI. But tech brands still think they can sell people on an indispensable, specialized AI that you wear everywhere.

It's not unreasonable to make AI transcription the hook for this concept. Recording apps like Otter are quite popular for meeting notes, and a portable, all-day transcription tool would be quite helpful for things like conventions. But the endgame is to record and analyze everything in your life, and that's not hyperbole.

Outside the optimistic, credulous CES environment with carefully crafted demos, it's fair to ask whether this always-recording AI future is another bubble ready to burst — or, if these devices do work as intended, if that's a good thing.

CES 2026's surplus of wearable AI gadgets, briefly summarized

The Pebble Index 01 side-stepped Oura's litigiousness by avoiding health sensors and focusing on transcription: tap the button, say something, and the recording is sent to your phone for a voice-to-text reminder. Straightforward and fun, it's much less ambitious and automated than the other wearable AI tech at CES.

Mobvoi, a former Wear OS smartwatch maker, pivoted to the TicWatch Note, an all-day smartwatch with "instant, one-press recording for meetings, ideas, and voice moments," as well as "on-watch live translation." That sounds reasonable, but Mobvoi also makes some vague promises about "AI-driven holistic analysis," creating a database out of your words synced with your location and health data.

The Pebble Ring's polar opposite in ambition is Qira. Lenovo's AI assistant is an "ambient system-level intelligence" that "moves with you across PCs, tablets, smartphones, wearables, and more." It can transcribe meetings or write emails for you, but Lenovo foresees Qira watching what you're doing and offering "proactive, contextual suggestions" for what to do next.

Plenty of tech brands want to create an "agentic AI" that acts independently, and (in consumer contexts) anticipates what users want. No one has pulled it off yet, but Lenovo will have to prove that Qira's inferences are actually accurate or helpful, but it thinks it can pull it off by monitoring every action you take, whether on your devices or in real life.

Lenovo's wearable AI plans start with Motorola Project Maxwell, a proof-of-concept for recording nearby sound and video at all times. But Lenovo EVP Luca Rossi told PC Mag that they're considering other wearables, from smart glasses to "ambient AI sensing devices" around your house.

They want to create a "personal AI twin" that always knows what you're doing, "no matter which platform you are on," all to ensure that Lenovo knows "everything about you."

Other tech brands at CES may not have Lenovo's platform reach, but they have the same ambition. SwitchBot's robots were among our favorite CES 2026 gadgets, but the brand also unveiled its "second brain": the 18-gram AI MindClip that records all of your conversations and sends them to the cloud to transcribe and summarize, so you can "think more clearly" about what happened during your day.

Likewise, the Plaud NotePin S — designed as a pin, necklace, or bracelet — can transcribe and "extract" detailed summaries and flowcharts from your conversations, simply by tapping a button.

Memories.ai's Project LUCI, a multimodal pin with a 109º camera equipped with a privacy switch, was targeted to developers rather than consumers "after seeing several high-profile AI wearables fail," according to the CEO. But he's still making lofty promises, saying the pin is already capable of "remembering people you meet, turning daily life into meaningful video highlights, or providing full real-world context to AI agents."

There were a few other all-encompassing wearable AI gadgets at CES, like the Looki L1 that "sees, hears, and understands your life," but I have to stop at some point.

Some other wearable AI gadgets help with one key feature. Amazfit's V1tal Food Camera, for example, strictly focuses on wearable nutrition data: snap a photo of your plate, and AI will analyze its caloric and macronutrient value. I can't see people buying glasses just for this, but this convenient concept would make any smart glasses stand out.

The Luna band uses AI to differentiate itself from other screenless smart bands like Whoop 5.0 and Polar Loop. At any time, you can speak to it to express your current energy level or mood, the food you're eating, or other information, and it'll analyze your words to log your lifestyle and provide "real-time, voice-led health guidance."

How much wearable AI will people tolerate?

During Rossi's interview about Qira and Maxwell, he stressed that users will control "which data they want or permit to go out of their device," but he was more dismissive concerning others' privacy, likening using wearable AI to "going around with a phone with a camera," saying people can already invade people's privacy if they want.

I think that's actually an apt comparison! When people see you wearing one of these AI pins, they'll assume they're being recorded and/or filmed at all times. That's liable to put people on edge, as if you were pointing your phone camera at them — unless it becomes a societal norm to accept constant multimodal AI analysis.

Meta's smart glasses can have this same effect on some people, but they've generally earned social acceptance because they don't look out of place on your face, and because it's obvious when you tap the button to start filming. A dongle on your shirt collar may not get the same grace.

Can any of these AI assistants live up to their promises?

Putting aside societal acceptance, these wearable AI gadgets face several hurdles if they want to move beyond the venture capital stage and actually resonate with consumers.

First, can these devices successfully last all day while sending data to and from the cloud, or will they start to overheat (like the Humane pin) because designers prioritized a small form factor?

Second, just how good will these all-day transcriptions be? Given how inaccurate my Otter transcriptions tend to be, I'm curious how well these AIs will truly "understand me." Will they successfully tell different speakers apart and counterbalance ambient noise, music lyrics, and other data noise?

And third, will these "second brain" wearables that summarize our lives really help us, or just give us an excuse to not pay attention, knowing the AI will tell us later what we're supposed to remember?

Assuming these wearable AI tools work as intended, I could see a market for them. The same folks who rely on ChatGPT for work, data searches, or general advice would want a way to incorporate more personalized data from the real world, so the AI can remind them of what they need to know.

Personally, as much as I get frustrated when I forget something important, I think I'd rather find ways to improve my memory than to become less dependent upon it, because an AI is surveilling my life and can remember things for me.

The Pixel Watch 4 has solid battery life for a Wear OS watch, particularly the 45mm model. But if you're looking to stretch out its lifespan — both for short-term gains and long-term battery health — there are a few simple settings to familiarize yourself with!

One key reason I gave the Pixel Watch 4 a glowing review is its improved battery life, paired with faster charging. The 45mm model easily lasts two days in ideal conditions and performed very well in my battery test, handling GPS workouts or LTE streaming with ease.

Because of this, I tend to use Watch 4 settings that drain its battery faster for a better user experience. But for those of you who'd prefer the opposite, and want to maximize your Pixel Watch 4 battery life — particularly as its capacity fades with time — these are the simple tricks and downgrades to make the Watch 4 last longer per charge.

Turn on Battery Saver mode

I'll start with the obvious setting that you probably know about already. Swipe down from the main watch face view to see a battery icon with a percentage. Tap it, say Don't show this again, then tap the check mark. Now, tapping the battery button triggers Battery Saver mode immediately.

You now have an instant way to put the Watch 4 in a more efficient state, with limited background activity, delayed notifications, and disabled always-on display (AOD). If toggled on at 100%, Battery Saver makes the Watch 4 41mm and 45mm last up to 40 or 72 hours, respectively.

This mode triggers automatically at 15%; you can't change the threshold, so you'll have to remember to check for yourself if you want to trigger Battery Saver earlier in the day.

Disable AOD and adjust your display timeout settings

Google estimates that the Pixel Watch 4 41mm and 45mm last 30 and 40 hours with AOD active, respectively; it doesn't say how long they're supposed to last with AOD turned off, but you'll get a few extra hours, at least, and those hours will add up to fewer charge cycles over time.

I prefer using AOD so I can glance at my wrist for info without needing tilt-to-wake, and it makes the watch look more stylish. But if you can accept losing those perks, open the watch settings, tap Display, then toggle Always-on screen off.

In this same menu, you can adjust your screen timeout window from the default 15 seconds to 10 seconds, which will reduce power usage subtly over time.

There's also the Go to watch face delay setting: With a longer duration like "after 1 minute," the Watch 4 will keep your current menu or app open for a minute even if the screen dims, but this consumes extra battery. Instead, choose something shorter like "After 15 seconds," or even "Immediately," which prolongs its capacity but (annoyingly) makes you navigate back to an app if you're distracted.

Lastly, adaptive brightness is on by default, as it should be, but a final battery-saving option is to tap the Brightness setting, toggle it off, and then tap the - button to make the lowest brightness the default. You won't benefit from the Watch 4's 3,000 nits, but it'll last longer than a day.

Disable sound/vibrations and tilt-to-wake

I'll emphasize again that I wouldn't do this, necessarily, but for maximum Watch 4 capacity, disable tilt-to-wake so that you only wake the display by tapping it or rotating the display. Go to Settings > Gestures and toggle Tilt-to-Wake off.

Side note: You may want to disable Gemini Raise to Talk in the same menu, simply because that's another tracked gesture that activates the display and mic. Either that, or lower the voice and motion sensitivity so it's less likely to trigger accidentally.

Next, you'll have to decide whether you prefer your notifications accompanied by sound or vibrations. I'm not certain which is more efficient, but it's best to disable one of them, then lower the intensity of the other.

First, go to Settings > Sound and tap Mute ring & notifications, or lower the volume for ringing, notifications, alarms, media, and calls. Then, go to Settings > Vibration and either toggle Vibration & haptics off or lower the intensity for Ring, Notification, and Alarm vibrations. You can also disable "interactive haptics," or the subtle whirr when you turn the crown or tap display options.

Use Adaptive Charging (and be smart about when you charge)

The Pixel Watch 4 has Adaptive Charging enabled by default. Essentially, Google learns your habits so that, if you tend to charge your watch overnight, it anticipates when you typically wake up and waits to hit 100% until that time — helping preserve capacity in the long run.

As I covered in my Pixel Watch 4 beginner's guide, you should go to Settings > Watch preferences > Modes and toggle Sync across watch and phone on; then, in your connected phone's settings, go to Settings > Modes > Bedtime > Bedtime Routine and set a schedule; this should make it easy for Google to adapt the watch's charging schedule, and also auto-limit background activity at night if you leave it off the charger.

Useful as this is, Adaptive Charging won't kick in if, for example, you use the Watch 4 for sleep tracking and charge it during the day. In that case, Google sends a 100%-charged notification to your phone when the Watch 4 is ready, but you need to be alert for it.

Google has a "Battery Defender" tool that kicks in if you leave your Pixel Watch on the charger for 4+ days, but that's already too long to wait!

You also want to make sure you don't let the Pixel Watch 4 hit 0% too often, or stay dead, as letting its battery stay drained has a negative impact on long-term capacity. If you know you're not going to be wearing the Watch 4 for a while, for whatever reason, go to Settings > System > Power off while it's at or near full capacity.

Avoid using LTE when possible

As I found during my Pixel Watch 4 battery test, streaming music over cellular to my wireless earbuds consumed 18% of the Watch 4 45mm battery in one hour — or 28% with both LTE music and GPS.

When I streamed a predownloaded playlist, it used 12% per hour. Over time, that'll add up to a couple of extra hours of capacity; plus, you can assume the LTE power drain would be much higher on the smaller 41mm model.

My point is simple: If you bought the 4G LTE Watch 4, try not to use the cellular capacity often, unless you're willing to recharge it immediately after your activity. It toggles on automatically if you're away from your phone or home wi-fi, but if you ever need to make your Watch 4 last longer, go to Settings > Connectivity > Mobile > Mobile and switch LTE off.

I recently looked back on my 2025 predictions for Android smartwatch brands like Google, Samsung, and OnePlus. I was more right than wrong, but now I'll try to better predict how Android smartwatches will change in 2026.

It doesn't take Nostradamus to say that the Pixel Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 9 will launch in 2026. But aside from guessing what Google and Samsung have planned, I'll talk about my expectations for Gemini, Fitbit, and Samsung Health, and the Wear OS platform more broadly, which has shown some warning signs this year.

I'll also discuss what I'd like to see happen with Android smartwatches in 2026, even though some of my expectations, like a Samsung AI subscription, aren't what I'd want.

Samsung could relaunch Samsung Health with a Galaxy AI subscription

This summer, I spotted warning signs that Samsung might start charging us for Galaxy AI health features. Two weeks later, Samsung SVP Hon Pak admitted in an interview that they are "exploring" premium subscription models for "advanced coaching features," as well as helping users spot "preventable" conditions like cancer.

Galaxy AI features like Energy Score, Vascular Load, and Antioxidant Index typically have fine print saying they're free through 2025. That doesn't mean Samsung will start invoicing us on January 1. Instead, anytime from Samsung's CES 2026 "First Look" presentation to the Galaxy Watch 9 reveal next summer, it could announce an "optional" $10/month Samsung Health subscription and start cramming previously free features into it.

Samsung will want a flashy, AI-driven alternative to Fitbit Personal Health Coach; don't be surprised if they charge us for it.

Google and Samsung will escalate their health war with Apple

Almost every major smartwatch brand is in a wellness arms race to pack as many "life-saving" or doctor-replacing features into their watches as possible, from Apple's hypertension alerts and Google's Loss of Pulse detection to Huawei's blood pressure-tracking D2 watch. It should only ramp up in 2026.

Samsung has already confirmed plans to use Galaxy Watches to detect heart failure, a "World-First" feature, very soon. Google launched its six-month hypertension study with Fitbit Labs for Pixel Watch 3 owners, so in theory, it could use that data to develop its own predictive feature for high blood pressure warnings.

Google's clinical lead for cardiology told me she wants Pixel Watch users to have more access to "personalized risk" data, tying your stats and medical records to clinical studies. And Google's clinical sleep lead says he hopes smartwatches can one day detect signs of sleepwalking or Restless Leg Syndrome.

I'm not saying we'll see these in 2026, just showcasing the doctors behind these Android watch brands with ambitious goals for personalized health. Samsung clearly has the same medical aspirations, too.

Wear OS will continue to shed its "open platform" label

In 2024, Fossil stopped making smartwatches after struggling with Wear OS updates. In 2025, Mobvoi hasn't announced anything official, but it seems to have stopped selling TicWatches and pivoted to AI devices, while Tag Heuer quietly left the platform with its new Calibre E5. And OnePlus has fallen months behind its pledge to update its 2024 watches to Wear OS 5.

By my count, Wear OS has four active brands remaining: Google, Samsung, OnePlus/OPPO, and Xiaomi. I'd guess that Xiaomi or OnePlus will be the next to quietly distance itself from Wear OS, releasing more watches with proprietary software, such as the OnePlus Watch Lite running an RTOS.

Whether by design or neglect, Google's non-Samsung partners can't keep up on Wear OS version updates, falling a year behind on average, and that makes their watches seem deficient compared to Pixel and Galaxy Watches. I'm still expecting a OnePlus Watch 4 until I'm told otherwise, but we're trending toward Google and Samsung hoarding Gemini on smartwatches for themselves.

Gemini upgrades will be the Wear OS 7 highlight

Wear OS 6 was a much more dramatic, system-level update than Wear OS 5 and Wear OS 4, with Material 3 Expressive as the highlight. I'd expect Wear OS 7 to optimize this new UI rather than change it again, with improved battery efficiency and further upgrades to Watch Face Format like 3D Faces.

Instead, I think Wear OS 7 will focus on AI upgrades. Wear OS 6's on-watch smart replies — recently enhanced on Wear OS 6.1 — are the template. The idea is to shift more work away from your phone, so the AI assistant can answer questions more quickly without relying on the cloud.

I wonder if we'll get an official Gemini Live tool on Wear OS, for situations where it's not convenient to have your phone on hand. I could also see Google creating a Gemini equivalent to Apple's Workout Buddy, synced to your Fitbit training plan; it would give you real-time, personalized feedback and advice during an activity.

Next-generation hardware

One of my big hopes for 2025 was a powerful Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 SoC with RISC-V architecture, based on an interview with a Qualcomm VP where he mentioned their goal of making "AI-driven" hardware with a "week's worth of battery life" and the ability to support years of updates.

Instead, the Gen-2 chip we got was a more incremental upgrade, focused on improved efficiency and satellite connectivity. It's perfectly functional, but not especially fast, even for everyday app and menu loading. Samsung's 3nm Exynos W1000 is more advanced for everyday performance, but I wouldn't count on it for next-gen AI capabilities, either.

The sooner we get a true next-generation smartwatch chip with the neural processing for powerful on-watch AI, the happier I'll be. Maybe Google could even make a Tensor chip with stronger neural performance, as one leak suggested. I just don't expect a hardware change so soon, given how often smartwatches keep the same chipsets for years.

A more exciting Galaxy Watch Ultra 2

While the Galaxy Watch Ultra (2025) was a minor refresh, Galaxy Club claims Samsung is developing a new flagship watch for 2026. It didn't share other details, except for its internal name "Galaxy Watch 9 Ultra." Whatever it's called, Samsung needs to make the Ultra 2 much more exciting to justify the $650 price tag, now that cheaper Galaxy Watches have stolen its look.

For one, I'd demand a battery boost: The 590mAh capacity hasn't changed since the Watch 5 Pro, and the OnePlus Watch 3 lasts nearly twice as long. For another, LTE alone isn't that exciting when the Apple Watch Ultra 3 has 5G and satellite connectivity. If its MicroLED tech isn't ready for a smartwatch, Samsung still needs to give the Ultra 2 display something to stand out, like a higher PPI ratio.

Ultra watches are meant for the outdoors, but the Galaxy Watch Ultra never really delivered the training software necessary to attract athletes; anyone willing to spend $650 would spend even more on a Garmin Fenix 8. Samsung started off with a Running Coach this year, but it needs to do more to keep pace with Apple and Google/ Fitbit, instead of relying on third-party fitness tools like iFit.

Upgrade the Pixel Watch 5 to match the new Fitbit Coach

We already know the Fitbit Personal Health Coach will launch in 2026 with AI-generated coaching and health insights. But the Wear OS Fitbit app is still quite basic, unable to import most workouts (besides running) from Gemini's training plans. You have to log things like gym reps manually.

If lightweight Garmin watches can sync workout plans from the Connect app and automatically track exercise reps, I'd assume Google can do the same with more powerful Snapdragon hardware! It's just a matter of implementing Fitbit Coach's plans and insights directly in Wear OS 7.

I've also waited for years for Google to offer a Google Maps course creation tool, where you build a route, export it as a GPX file to your Pixel Watch, and then follow it during a run, hike, or bike activity. The Galaxy Watch Ultra can import GPX files from other apps; Google could one-up Samsung by actually letting you create them.

A OnePlus Watch 4 with its own software surprises

For OnePlus, 2025 was all about hardware upgrades. Compared to the Watch 2, the Watch 3 added a titanium bezel, a working crown, a denser silicone-carbon battery, a larger and brighter display, an upgraded coprocessor with better background task performance, and two new health sensors. It essentially caught up with other premium smartwatches.

Ignoring my Wear OS pessimism and assuming a OnePlus Watch 4 is coming in a couple of months, I don't need more hardware upgrades, really. I just want to see if OnePlus's spin on Wear OS 6 has a standout feature, compared to Google's Material 3 Expressive and watch face theming, or Samsung's phone-like multi-info Tiles.

Grade: B

As Android Central's Wearables Editor, I ended 2024 by predicting what would happen with Galaxy, Pixel, OnePlus, and other Wear OS watches in 2025. Some predictions were dead on; others were wishful thinking. Looking back, I'm grading where these companies met, exceeded, or fell short of my expectations.

In my "What we expect from Wear OS in 2025" post, I correctly predicted Google and Samsung's major health and fitness push, and (unfortunately) knew that other Wear OS brands would struggle with updates this year.

I incorrectly guessed that Samsung wouldn't "go the squircle route" and that we'd see a Moto 360 successor this year. But despite my misses, I'm generally happy with my educated guesswork.

Wear OS in 2025

This year saw the launch of the new Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 chip, and while I saw this coming, I didn't expect its incremental efficiency boost and satellite tech. I'd hoped for major power gains or for Google and Qualcomm to launch their joint RISC-V chip initiative, but alas, neither materialized in 2025.

On the other hand, Wear OS 6 brought a major health & fitness focus with Samsung adding an equivalent to training load (Vascular Load) and other health tools (Antioxidant Index), though the upcoming heart failure predictor is a pleasant surprise.

With Google, the Fitbit Personal Health Coach preview shows Google attempting to "keep up with fitness rivals," with training plans for cycling, weightlifting, and other sports besides running, as I'd hoped. Plus, the Pixel Watch 4 got a nice boost with dual-band GPS.

However, I will admit that Wear OS 6 had more substantial UI and system changes than I'd expected with the advent of Material 3 Expressive.

I had a feeling that Gemini would not only blow up on Wear OS after taking over the Google Assistant but also become the Pixel Watch 4's "killer app." It's not too surprising that Google made sure to give its smartwatch exclusive AI tricks: Raise to Talk and on-watch smart replies.

On the Galaxy Watch 8, I noted that I didn't expect Samsung to use a squircle display, that we'd see a Galaxy Watch 8 Classic, and that Samsung would keep selling the Ultra before launching an Ultra 2 next year, all of which largely came true this year. However, I didn't expect the Galaxy Watch 8 to ditch its usual rounded style for a squircle design, giving it its first major redesign in some time.

One good thing we saw this year was that Facer's claim that it was "working hard with Google" to solve its Wear OS 5 ban wasn't just corporate-speak: It partnered with Google to bring 3rd-party watch faces back to Wear OS 6, and they look great.

Unfortunately, not everyone was on board with Wear OS like I had hoped. It was wishful thinking that Motorola would return to Wear OS. We did see an HMD Global Wear OS leak this summer for two "Rubber" kids' smartwatches, but they've yet to become official, and since HMD has abandoned American Nokia smartphone sales, I'm not sure if they'll ever launch.

I also warned that Wear OS would continue to be plagued with slow updates from companies that aren't Samsung and Google, particularly that Mobvoi would struggle to implement Wear OS 5 on TicWatches; turns out, Mobvoi may have stopped selling TicWatches for good. OnePlus was also not immune to slow updates, despite having one of the best Wear OS watches on the market, and it's now months behind its promised Q3 update window for the Watch 2.

There were also no hardware updates for Fitbit watches in 2025, which is no surprise. While I knew I was "going out on a limb," I thought Google might stop selling Fitbit hardware entirely — besides the Pixel Watch — and might expand its app to more watches. Instead, Google is promising new Fitbit hardware in 2026, so I'm thrilled to be wrong.

Google in 2025: B+

Looking back on Google's year, it's largely very positive. I gave the Pixel Watch 4 a glowing review and have continued to enjoy using it months later. Both my battery test and fitness test showed significant improvements over the last generation. Wear OS 6 impressed me with its overhauled UI, and the new Fitbit app is promising — though that's more of a 2026 development.

While the main hardware launch gets an "A," I have to knock Google for a few other developments. First, the Pixel Watch 1 didn't get Wear OS 6, confirming that Galaxy Watches get at least one extra version update than Google's, if not two. This lessens Pixel Watches' long-term value.

The messy Wear OS 5.1 update in March proved that Google had some QC work to do, though later updates have been pain-free. My bigger complaint is about Google's Wear OS stewardship: Mobvoi fleeing the platform in 2025, after Fossil left in 2024, suggests the "open" platform isn't profitable enough for smaller, non-Android brands anymore.

We don't have Pixel Watch 4 sales numbers, but Omdia's chart shows how Google's wearable profits since 2022 have peaked in every fourth quarter, and we can assume the Watch 4 will hit a new high, given its excellent hardware and positive user reviews thus far.

Samsung in 2025: B

Samsung is consistently one of the top smartwatch brands worldwide, but its sales dipped dramatically in Q1 2025 and haven't fully recovered. Omnia shows Samsung wearable sales climbed this fall, but Samsung still lost 2% market share, while Counterpoint tracked a 5% market drop for Samsung smartwatches in the last quarter.

You can blame a few factors, like a lackluster Galaxy Watch 7 generation or Huawei stealing Samsung's international market share. It makes sense that Samsung took a big swing with the Watch 8 and Watch 8 Classic designs, trying to recapture consumer interest, and reversing its falling trends might be a long-term project.

My colleague Brady loves how skinny and light his Watch 8 is, and says people shouldn't dismiss the squircle design as ugly until they see it in person. I also like my Classic's rotating bezel and scale border, but I'm more lukewarm on its bulky weight and smaller display. The Ultra (2025) is barely worth mentioning, with the cheaper models stealing the Ultra's look, third button, and brighter display.

I appreciate Samsung's dogged determination to track as many health metrics as possible. On the fitness side, the Running Coach and the new iFit video workouts won't wow anyone.

I'm more enthusiastic about Samsung's spin-off of Wear OS 6, One UI 8 Watch, which offers excellent Tiles and the useful Now Bar alongside new watch faces and an efficiency boost. And with the Galaxy Watch 4 expected to receive the update before EOY, Samsung has established itself as the better option for software support over Google.

OnePlus in 2025: B-

Speaking specifically about OnePlus's Wear OS models, I'm less enthused than I was earlier in the year. Things started out strong with the OnePlus Watch 3: Its battery life is unprecedented for a true smartwatch, it fixed several flaws in the last model (such as adding a functional crown), and it has a classy titanium look.

Yes, the "Meda in China" typo delayed its launch into April, but that was a nothingburger. And OnePlus followed up by launching a Watch 3 43mm in July, and while the signature battery life has shrunk, it still lasts two days, the same as the Pixel Watch 4 45mm.

The bigger issue concerns the OnePlus Watch 2 and Watch 2R. OnePlus Watches are due to receive two OS updates, but these 2024 models are still stuck on Wear OS 4 — two versions behind the competition — delayed from OnePlus's promised Q3 2025 update window for Wear OS 5. I thought OnePlus would be better than Fossil and Mobvoi at promptly updating its watches, and I'm concerned that history is repeating itself.

Then we ended the year with the OnePlus Watch Lite, which I hoped would be a cheap Wear OS watch; instead, it'll use a proprietary OS, similar to the original OnePlus Watch. This doesn't guarantee that OnePlus will abandon Wear OS for good, but it does feel like another warning sign.

Last week, I tested Google's Android XR prototypes, the Gemini-powered foundation for Samsung's 2026 AI glasses. And while Google director Juston Payne said these AI glasses will "help bring this category into existence," Meta brought smart glasses and XR into the mainstream first. So it's fair to speculate how Google and Samsung will crack Meta's AI glasses stranglehold.

We don't know how Warby Parker and Gentle Monster will design these glasses, nor do we have camera or battery specs yet. But the Android XR UI and apps felt polished and consumer-ready in my hour-long demo. I already know what it'll be like to use these glasses in daily life.

As a result, I expect the display-free Samsung glasses and Ray-Ban Meta glasses to have remarkably similar software, including "live" AI advice and translation. The mono-HUD glasses will, likewise, resemble the Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses, with their petite app widgets, turn-by-turn navigation, and other shared apps.

They're similar enough that people may end up choosing their smart glasses based on Warby Parker, Gentle Monster, or Ray-Ban/Oakley styles, not the AI behind it.

That said, I've already noticed three key differences that could help the Android XR smart glasses stand out and offer key advantages over what Meta offers. This doesn't mean these glasses will be better, as Meta has three generations of hardware experience that's paid off so far. But it proves that long-time Meta glasses wearers should be paying close attention.

Gemini has one key advantage over Meta AI: Apps

I'm not going to get into the Gemini vs. Llama debate. One, we're comparing conversational recognition and multimodal accuracy, which is harder to quantify than judging how well they code or generate images from prompts. Two, both frequently launch new AI models, and either could have improved significantly by 2026.

We've used multimodal Gemini Live on phones to keep plants alive and give home repair advice, so I expect that to carry over well to Samsung's glasses with an always-ready Gemini — though Meta has its own Live AI and handles image recognition well.

What I've specifically noticed about Gemini, while testing it on Wear OS, is how Google has integrated commands into its app library, connecting them so you can pull data from one app and seamlessly apply it to another. For example, pulling info from Messages or Maps and then creating a Keep note from the result.

This interconnectivity with other apps will let the HUD display a preview of your Nest Doorbell feed, Google TV controls, a pop-up of a Gmail subject line, and more. And it's not just for Google apps: the deep Android integration means any Gemini-compatible apps should be compatible. Meta supports the essential phone, messaging, music, and social apps, but Google could have an "ecosystem," at least on Android; iOS users could have a more specialized experience.

Google's photography expertise will be vital

When I reviewed the Ray-Ban Gen 2s and Oakley Meta Vanguards, I appreciated the high-res action photos captured with such petite sensors, as well as how well they stabilize videos, so I appear to slide forward rather than rock and bounce with every step. A lot of postprocessing goes into making this work.

My expectation is that Google and Samsung will handle computational photography at least as well as Meta. They both make some of the best camera phones, specializing in areas such as motion capture, AI-powered zoom, edge detection with targeted blurring, and more.

Of course, Samsung can't fit Ultra-quality sensors with zoom into glasses frames; "physics will get in the way," as Payne explained, particularly for low-light photos. But he thinks they can "push up to that level of quality," and I've seen how, for example, the Pixel 9a produced better photography than other mid-range phones despite its smaller, flatter sensors.

Taking photos on Ray-Ban Meta glasses is also challenging without a viewfinder, so you don't know how close to stand. But during my Android XR glasses demo, they showed a viewfinder function on a synced Pixel Watch, so you can check if your photo angle looks right in the moment, then either retake it or use Gemini to edit it.

The Android XR-Wear OS connection will be key

The Meta Ray-Ban Display really benefits from having an sEMG band that reads your hand's neural inputs, recognizing gestures without needing to see them on camera. I assumed it would be tough for Google and Samsung to match this feature.

It turns out that Android smartwatches will be compatible with Android XR, and gestures like pinches detected by your watch will trigger actions on your glasses. It may be one reason why Google added gesture support to Pixel Watches this month, so they'd be ready to handle this feature in 2026.

Gestures and the viewfinder are confirmed features, but I expect there will be an Android XR app that can add shortcuts, or an option to display Gemini answers as text on your wrist for the audio-only glasses. I'd also expect an option to hear your live workout stats over the glasses, similar to how the Oakley Vanguards read out Garmin stats.

Basically, because it's a full-fledged accessory instead of a specialized input device, there's more potential for interplay between Android glasses and watches. Until that long-rumored Meta Watch shows up, Android XR will have the wearable edge.

Competition is always better

I'm eagerly anticipating the new Samsung glasses, whatever they're called, next year. I actually wear (non-smart) Warby Parker glasses, and I'm curious whether they'll be able to create designs that look more natural for daily wear — though I don't know how well they'll match Ray-Ban and Oakley for sporty looks.

Ray-Ban & Oakley Meta fans may still end up sticking with the ecosystem and styles they know. What matters is that Meta hasn't had much smart glasses competition yet. With Google and Samsung pushing in to challenge its supremacy, that gives Meta more impetus to innovate and keep its sales lead.

The Google Pixel Watch 4 is jam-packed with features, enough that it's hard to keep track of everything you can, or should, be doing with your new smartwatch! Since I've been using it for months, even after my Pixel Watch 4 review, I can help you get started.

Google takes you through the basics during the initial Watch 4 setup, like connecting your Google email or syncing it with the Fitbit app. This Pixel Watch 4 beginner's guide will focus on features you're expected to find on your own.

These aren't necessarily hidden tricks, but they're tools that'll lay dormant in submenus until you find them. Let's optimize your Pixel Watch 4 settings so you get the best possible experience.

Customize your watch faces and theme

Tap and hold your watch face, then swipe left and right to move between the different default faces preinstalled on your Watch 4. Whichever face you choose, Wear OS 6 pulls the primary and secondary colors to update the Watch 4's UI color theme; for example, the default Active face makes Tiles and buttons red, while notifications turn dull purple and text bright purple.

Google offers more primary watch faces. Open the Watch app on your connected phone, then tap Watch faces. If you tap Add watch face, you'll find 27 categories with nearly 150 variations, mostly color differences but also different layouts, such as whether to place widgets along the display edge.

To edit your Watch 4 watch face, tap and hold the watch face, then tap the pencil icon. You'll see three edit options for the theme color, layout, and complications; swipe left to move between them, then tap a name or complication slot to pull up a menu of options.

It's easier to edit in the mobile Watch app, however. Open the Watch faces menu, then Edit under a specific watch face. You'll see more options at once and can preview different colors and layouts without applying them; hit Save to immediately upload your final choices to your watch.

Add third-party watch faces

Google designed its watch faces to blend in with the edgeless display. Stylish as they are, they're also a bit homogenous. If you're looking for more variety, especially for fun holiday- or pop culture-themed watch faces, you're in luck: Wear OS 6 brought back support for 3rd-party watch face apps like Facer, WatchMaker, and TIMEFLIK, with hundreds of thousands of custom options. Most require a subscription or purchase, but plenty are free.

For each app like Facer, you'll need to download it on your phone and watch, then select the Pixel Watch 4 as your primary device. Any watch face you choose will be uploaded to the Watch 4 and given a dedicated slot next to Google's default faces. Choose a new Facer face, and it'll replace your old pick in the same slot; you'll have to save old favorites within the app itself if you want to swap back.

Also, be warned that Google doesn't pull color themes from custom watch faces, defaulting to a Moonstone theme. Once you choose your new watch face, go to Settings > Display > Color theme and select one of the eight generic options that match it.

Edit your Tiles

Wear OS 6 upgraded Tiles to make them more useful than before, with more shortcuts per Tile and (for some) an Edge button that takes you to the full app. Since you can have a maximum of 15 Tiles, take the time to decide which you need.

On any Tile, tap and hold to enter Editing mode, then tap the left or right arrow to reorder them so your favorite apps are easier to check first. Tap the + icon to add a new Tile from the available options, or swipe up on any Tile to remove it from the Carousel.

Among the available non-default Tiles, I definitely recommend adding the Alarm and Timer tiles for functionality, Google Keep's Create Note tool for quick voice transcriptions, and the Gmail "New Emails" tile. Health-conscious users can add the Body Responses (aka stress), ECG, and Cardio Load Tiles. There are a few 3rd-party app Tiles, too, most notably Outlook, WhatsApp, and Spotify.

Customize Gemini Raise to Talk

Gemini Raise to Talk only works on the Pixel Watch 4. Older models make you use "Hey Google" or long-press the Side button; now, if you raise the Watch 4 up to your mouth and speak clearly and quickly, Gemini will answer your question. I have a full how-to guide on setting up and using Gemini Raise to Talk, and you'll be prompted to activate the feature during initial setup.

But there's one thing you probably don't know: You can change how sensitive Gemini Raise to Talk is. People who gesticulate while they talk may get too many false positives, while others may find that Gemini fails to listen unless you awkwardly yank up your arm.

Open Settings > Gestures > Raise to Talk and toggle it On if it isn't already. Then, scroll down to find Gesture sensitivity and Voice sensitivity options. I chose to make mine more sensitive, so it registers commands with more casual arm movement and without me having to speak as loudly or quickly.

Limit annoying notifications and sync Bedtime Mode

By default, your phone and watch will buzz at the same time with a notification. In the mobile Watch app under Settings, tap Notifications to limit them: Mute notifications from phone so your watch stays silent while you're actively using your phone, and/ or Mute notifications on phone if you want your phone to stay silent while your Watch 4 shows the notification.

Another option is to tap App notifications and choose which apps are allowed to appear on the Watch 4. Take a minute to untoggle the apps that you wouldn't want to distract you with marketing garbage during an outing or workout. If you want even more granular control over your notifications, I recommend this paid Buzzkill Notification Manager.

The most important thing is to make sure your Watch 4 is synced with your Pixel phone's bedtime routine, so that it doesn't buzz your wrist or light up when you turn over in your sleep. In the mobile Watch app, go to Watch preferences > Modes and make sure Sync across watch and phone is toggled on; then, in your main phone settings, go to Settings > Modes > Bedtime > Bedtime Routine and set a schedule.

Turn on Loss of Pulse detection

You may have already found this feature highlighted in the Fitbit app, but assumed you were too healthy to need it. But Google specifically says Loss of Pulse isn't for people with "high risk for sudden cardiac death." It's for people who don't realize they could be at risk, catching signs of cardiac arrest, respiratory or circulatory failure, overdose, or poisoning.

Our guide on how to enable Loss of Pulse walks you through each step, but it's simple enough: On your connected phone, go to Settings > Safety & Emergency, select the Loss of Pulse feature, then follow the steps. If it's not available, you may not live in one of the 16 countries where Google received regulatory approval.

Sign up for the Fitbit Personal Health Coach preview

The redesigned Fitbit app, due to launch in 2026, adds a Personal Health Coach that uses a Gemini-based LLM, letting you have a "conversation" with the AI coach to build out a workout plan and discuss your Watch 4 health, sleep, and fitness stats.

It's currently in beta, and your free six-month Fitbit Premium trial gives you access to it if you live in the United States. We have an in-depth guide on how to get started with the Fitbit AI personal health coach, one I recommend following because it's too lengthy to list out here.

For now, here's the gist: Open the Fitbit app and, if you're eligible, you'll see a pop-up option to Join the Public Preview in the Today tab. Agree to several screens of fine print, then hit Continue to start a chat with the AI Coach, where you'll discuss your goals, favorite activities, equipment, and everything else necessary to build a training plan.

You'll begin to see summarized "insights" about your health and sleep stats in the Today tab, or you can tap individual tabs to see more in specific areas. You'll also get your personalized plan with a week of upcoming workouts visible; you'll be able to tap Adjust plan if, for example, you're injured or are working late and need something easier.

Set up Emergency SOS and fall/car crash detection

On your Watch 4, open Settings > Safety & Emergency > Emergency SOS to toggle it on. Then summon help by pressing the crown five times rapidly, then holding the screen for three seconds.

You can tap Ways to start SOS in the same menu to remove the tapping component, if you'd rather it be easier to trigger. You can then choose whether to play a sound that'll loudly chime the imminent 911 call, or disable it.

By default, Emergency SOS dials 911. But if you have a unique situation where you'd rather call a personal contact for help in an emergency, tap Who to call for help, then tap Manage contacts to pick who you'd rather call instead using this shortcut.

Once that's set, ensure the Watch 4 will respond to emergencies when you can't. With fall and car crash detection, the watch's accelerometer will respond to a sudden loss of motion and give you 30 or 60 seconds to tap "I'm okay" on the display before it calls 911.

In Settings > Safety & Emergency, you'll find toggles for both Car Crash detection and Fall detection. Toggle both on, and for the latter, you should toggle Emergency sharing as well if you want to send an alert to loved ones that you've been in a crash, in addition to 911.

Use Safety Checks while working out

We've only scratched the surface of the Pixel Watch 4's emergency features. The Safety Check tool is designed for athletes: When you go out for an evening run or a hike in a deserted area, you can set a timer and have Google send your location to trusted contacts if you fail to check in before it ends.

Open the Personal Safety app or Tile, then tap Safety Check > Next. Choose your activity type and the duration. Pick which contacts you'd want to message; then, decide whether to send activity start and end messages to these contacts, or to only contact them if the timer expires.

Once you hit Start Timer, you'll see the screen above. You can end the Safety Check at any time with the red X button, or tap Start Emergency Sharing or Call 911 if necessary. You can also tap the clock icon to add more time, if necessary.

Test the satellite SOS tool

If you didn't buy the Pixel Watch 4 LTE, your model doesn't include satellite, so skip ahead. For those that did, if you dial 911 in a cellular dead zone, the watch will show a "Use Satellite SOS?" prompt; tapping it will begin a process of sending a message to emergency responders with your name, email, phone number, location, language preference, Watch 4 battery level, and emergency contact information

I recommend testing it out first, though not by dialing 911. Go back to Settings > Safety & Emergency, then select Satellite SOS > Try a demo. It'll show you how you need to find an open space where the Watch 4 has a line of sight with the Skylo satellite, then orient the device to optimize the signal.

Use Watch Unlock for your connected Pixel

The Pixel Watch 4 uses its Ultra Wideband functionality to keep your nearby phone unlocked, if you want. In the mobile Pixel Watch app, tap Watch preferences > Security > Watch Unlock and type in your passcode, then hit Confirm. You'll then need to add a PIN or Pattern to your Watch 4, if you haven't already.

With this active, so long as you're wearing your Watch 4 and your connected Pixel is nearby, you can unlock it simply by swiping up on the lock screen or tapping a notification. In theory, someone could grab your phone and do this, but you'll get a notification on your Watch 4 whenever your synced phone is unlocked, with a Lock button visible if needed.

Set up Google Wallet

Adding a PIN or pattern to the Watch 4 also allows you to use Google Wallet. If you double-tap the crown, it'll pull up your synced cards and passes. But first, you'll need to set up the feature.

Double-tap the crown, then tap the big + button to continue on your synced phone. Assuming you already have credit cards on Google Pay, you simply select one, add your CVV, wait for approval from your bank, and then agree to the issuer's terms. I also had to pass a 2FA test, though that depends on your bank's security.

Aside from adding credit cards, you can add transit cards in the Watch app if you live in Puget Sound, Toronto, the SF Bay Area, or Washington D.C. Loyalty cards will also appear under your credit cards, though you'll need to manage them directly in the mobile Wallet app.

Miscellaneous settings to optimize your Watch 4 experience

To finish off, let's break down some basic settings that could improve your overall Watch 4 experience with just a couple of taps in the Settings!

• Display: Screen timeout lets you keep the display awake for up to 30 seconds, while Go to watch face keeps your last-used app open for up to 5 minutes, even after the display dims, so you don't have to navigate back.
• Sound: Here, you can adjust the volume of your phone calls, notifications, alarms, media, and on-wrist phone calls. I personally mute calls and notifications because I prefer vibrations, but you may prefer the opposite.
• Vibration: Here, you can customize vibration strength for calls, notifications, and alarms. For example, you might make your alarm light so you're not startled awake, but it's strong enough so you notice immediately.
• Battery: Battery Saver mode triggers automatically at 15%; you can go to this menu to toggle it off if you prefer.
• Accessibility: Here, visually impaired users can turn on tools like TalkBack — which describes what's happening on screen — Magnification, Text-to-Speech, or a Watch Vibration mode that buzzes out the current hour.
• System: To check for the latest update, go to System Update and tap the screen a few times to prompt the watch to check for an update. You can also restart the Watch 4 here if it's being sluggish, or Transfer watch if you want to sync it with a new Android phone.

Unleashing your Pixel Watch 4

This isn't a comprehensive list of Pixel Watch 4 tips and tricks, but this guide has hopefully improved your overall experience with it!

You may want to buy some backup Pixel Watch 4 bands and swap between them regularly to stay hygienic, or buy something like a ZAGG InvisibleShield or Spigen Armor Pro to protect your Watch 4. But that's ultimately up to you.

If you haven't bought the Pixel Watch 4 yet, and are using this guide to see whether it has new tricks that make it worth the upgrade, I recommend reading our Pixel Watch 4 vs. 3 guide, my Pixel Watch 4 45mm battery test, or my Pixel Watch 4 fitness test to see more of what it's like to use.

Considering what I'm going to buy for myself should help me cover Black Friday wearable deals. Usually, people expect me to recommend smartwatches, rings, earbuds, and XR deals that I'd buy for myself. But when you're swimming in brand-new devices to review (and living off a writer's salary in California), that's a bit of a contradiction.

It's wild, but I'm usually juggling a half-dozen reviews at once — I'm currently reviewing Garmin, COROS, Polar, Suunto, and Amazfit devices. Naturally, the last thing on my mind is buying even more devices! Some companies have me mail tech back; others don't. It'd be unethical to sell tech I was given for review, so I'm left with piles of devices that I break out whenever I need to test new features.

Let's assume a robber snuck in and carried out ten years' worth of hoarded tech devices. My fiancée would probably be thrilled by the extra closet space, but I'd have to adjust. I chose this Wearables Editor job because I genuinely enjoy using smartwatches, smart rings, and other wearable tech.

So, which Black Friday tech deals would I buy to replace my current tech and stay healthy, fit, and motivated? I answer that question below, balancing the best devices with prices that "normal" people would be willing to spend.

1. The tough smartwatch decision

Right now, I juggle between a half-dozen Garmin watches, Pixel Watch 4, Galaxy Watch 8 Classic, Apple Watch Ultra 2, and too many other running watches to list here. Having to pick one smartwatch is tough!

I've already written up some of the best BF smartwatch deals still available, like $129 for a Galaxy Watch 7 or up to $100 off the Pixel Watch 4. Of these, I'd be most tempted by the Pixel Watch 4, my favorite smartwatch of the year by a wide margin thanks to its stylish design, efficient battery life, and improved fitness tools.

Despite writing for an Android site, my first priority is fitness: I just finished a marathon, and to keep getting faster and improve my VO2 Max, I depend on my Garmin training load focus widget to tell me if I'm balancing slow jogs, fast runs, and hard sprints well.

Eventually, I think the Pixel Watch 4's Fitbit Personal Health Coach beta could offer some well-rounded insights and help me get fitter while incorporating more cross-training and strength work. But with life as busy as it is, hitting 10,000 steps a day and running when I can are good enough goals for me.

So I'd choose between the many Black Friday Garmin watch deals, and as tempted as I'd be to get a new Venu X1 for premium comfort or Forerunner 965 for epic battery and maps, I'd go with the Garmin Forerunner 265 for $299 ($150 off). Newer Garmins that cost twice as much would give me more smarts and newer sensors, but it was the last generation of Garmin watches that helped me become a better athlete and lose weight, and $300 feels like the threshold that my budget can withstand.

2. Buying an audio workout companion

To quote my favorite webcomic, "If I stop consuming media for more than five minutes I will die." Whether I'm running, walking, or hiking, I need audio motivation to fill the hours, so I'm not bored into giving up early; the trick is finding wireless earbuds that keep me in the zone, but leave my ears open so I'm safe and aware.

I've been testing a lot of smart glasses recently, and came away impressed when I reviewed the latest Ray-Ban Meta and Oakley Meta Vanguard glasses. I'd be very tempted by this $65-off Ray-Ban Meta Black Friday deal, since I'd get both open-ear audio and eye protection for my workouts. Only the first-generation glasses are on sale, but even though they're downgraded for battery life and video quality, they otherwise match for photo and audio quality, and Meta hasn't stopped updating its gen-1 glasses with new features.

That said, my first purchase would be either the Shokz OpenFit 2 or OpenFit 2+, the best workout earbuds I've ever tested. They hang lightly but securely on my ears, directing dual high and low drivers directly into my ear canals while leaving them unimpeded, which helps both for situational awareness and preventing impacted earwax.

I certainly love the "Plus" models for their rich Dolby Atmos mode, but I can pass that up for the cheaper OpenFit 2 earbuds, which still deliver fantastically rich audio, useful button shortcuts, and strong battery life.

3. Rounding out my tech collection with Black Friday deals

I've been using an Ultrahuman Ring Air since last year for sleep tracking, because I hate sleeping with a smartwatch if I can avoid it. Since Ultrahuman is facing a U.S. ban due to an Oura lawsuit, I'd need a new alternative. The Oura Ring 4 at $249 ($100 off) is the obvious choice; I haven't used it, but my colleagues love its style and accuracy. It would help me keep track of my body's health, warn me of signs of illness, and catch negative trends like Sleep Debt.

Aside from all my fitness tech, I need a way to monitor my progress at getting fitter. I'm not an expert on smart scales, but I've used the Withings Body Smart scale for the past two years to track whether my weight loss is coming from fat or muscle loss. $20 off isn't the biggest Black Friday deal, but I trust the data, and my fiancée loves its Eyes Closed mode so she can weigh herself without seeing the data until she checks the app, when she's "emotionally prepared."

Assuming I needed a new phone, I'd go for the Pixel 9a at $399 ($100 off). It's our #1 recommendation for best budget Android phone, and when I reviewed the Pixel 9a, I was blown away by the battery life, bright display, and respectable photo quality in a mid-range phone.

Ultimately, I don't know if you'll find my favorite tech worth buying or not. I can only be honest about the devices that have helped me in my day-to-day life, and hope you'll find them useful, too!

Black Friday quick links

• Best Buy: major discounts on Chromebooks, Android phones, and more
• Amazon: official Black Friday discounts on tablets, smart home tech
• Walmart: early price drops on ASUS laptops, locked phones
• Samsung: new Galaxy XR headset, trade-in opportunities
• Verizon: free phones with new line, trade-in
• T-Mobile: free Galaxy phones, $300 back w/ 5G Home Internet
• Mint Mobile: 50% off Pixel 10, BOGO Unlimited plans
• AT&T: get a free Z Flip 7 with trade-in, new line
  
  More Black Friday coverage
• The best Google Pixel deals of Black Friday (so far)
• The best Samsung deals of Black Friday (so far)
• The best Motorola deals of Black Friday (so far)

Google promises the Pixel Watch 4 will last 30 or 40 hours per charge, depending on the size you pick. I put my Pixel Watch 4 45mm LTE through several rounds of battery tests over the past month, so I can tell you before you pay extra for size or cellular how long the Watch 4 really lasts, particularly for demanding tasks like music streaming or GPS workouts.

Long story short, anyone upgrading from a Pixel Watch 1 or 2 is going to be pleasantly shocked by how much extra power they're getting.

I touched on battery life in my Google Pixel Watch 4 review, but I didn't dive into specific use cases like phone calls or cellular streaming. The table below breaks down what to expect from a Pixel Watch 4 45mm.

(Since I didn't have a 41mm model to test, we can only assume that it would last about three-quarters as long in most circumstances.)

My "max" estimates are only extrapolations; it's possible that hours of sustained, heavy-duty apps will wear out the Pixel Watch 4 faster over time. You may experience a shorter estimate if you get more notifications than I do, or if you're actively using Gemini or other apps simultaneously.

With those disclaimers out of the way, Pixel Watch 4 battery life has felt very consistent and dependable across weeks of testing. I find that the Watch 4 45mm nearly always reaches Google's 40-hour estimate with AOD active, with battery to spare. Unless you're frequently streaming music or using GPS, it's reasonable to assume you'll hit two days per charge.

I used GPS most frequently for my Pixel Watch 4 fitness testing, coming away impressed with its minimal impact on overall battery life, despite its increased accuracy with dual-frequency tracking.

Android Central contributor Tshaka Armstrong also has the Pixel Watch 4 45mm, and he told me he's "been getting around 42 hours battery life with an hour or more of GPS and an hour of streaming to earbuds." If you subtract the 20% or so of battery that his workout and streaming used, that means he made the Watch 4 last as long as Google's estimate, with only 80% power.

The biggest battery drain for the Watch 4 occurs when you use cellular data and GPS simultaneously. If you're a serious athlete who wants to leave your phone behind while streaming music, consider pre-downloading your playlists whenever possible and saving cellular data for emergencies.

Still, you can make the Watch 4 last for a few hours even with heavy-duty usage, which is impressive.

On a typical workday where the Watch 4 isn't doing much besides showing notifications and tracking heart rate, it has excellent standby battery life. I've found that it tends to use about 15% of its power in eight "normal" hours, and even less at night. I'll typically end up with 10–15% power after 48 hours.

You'll use apps like Gemini that eat up that extra power, but it's nice to see how efficiently Wear OS 6 runs, combined with the more efficient Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 chip.

Equally important, the Pixel Watch 4 recharges absurdly fast thanks to the new Quick Charge Dock. Google estimates it'll take an hour to recharge the Watch 4 45mm, and it's typically much quicker unless you're charging it from a completely dead battery. For example, I plugged it in at 9% power, and it took 42 minutes to hit 100%.

Should you buy the Pixel Watch 4 45mm for extra battery life?

The Pixel Watch 4 45mm isn't as long-lasting as a OnePlus Watch 3 or Galaxy Watch Ultra, but it's more comfortable than either of those bulky models. But you may still prefer the Watch 4 41mm, which is about 12g lighter and $50 cheaper.

If we trust Google's estimate that the Pixel Watch 4 41mm lasts about three-quarters as long, we can infer that demanding apps will have a slightly disproportionate effect, especially when using cellular data.

Take any number in the table above and multiply it by 3/4: I'd bet the Pixel Watch 4 41mm would offer about 7 hours of GPS, 6 hours of Bluetooth streaming, or only 2.5 hours of combined GPS and LTE music streaming. These are only guesses, but they're logical ones.

More broadly, while the Pixel Watch 4 45mm can be stretched to last close to two days per charge, the Pixel Watch 4 41mm will still die somewhere in the middle of day two, unless you're conscientious about charging it regularly.

Thankfully, the speedy charging makes this simple. If you charge your Watch 4 every day while showering, you can top it off and barely spend any time without wearing it. If you're looking to save money, the 41mm option isn't a bad choice; I'd only advise against it if you're considering the LTE option, because the 45mm Watch's extra battery life really helps on that front.

I like the 45mm option because those extra ten hours of battery let me worry less about charging in general, and because Wear OS reflows content to show more info on larger screens. The upgrade isn't necessary, but it's certainly nice to have!

FAQ

The Pixel Watch 4 is the second-best Android watch, but it's the best Gemini watch, and it's becoming one of the best fitness smartwatches. Google has been building to this stage for years, and more than die-hard Pixel fans should be paying attention.

The Pixel Watch 4 has tough competition. Samsung and OnePlus, Google's Wear OS partners, have particular strengths for software longevity (Samsung), battery life (OnePlus), ruggedness, and classic style (both), where the Pixel Watch 4 sometimes falls short.

But exclusives like satellite SOS, Loss of Pulse, Gemini Raise to Talk, and the new Fitbit Personal Health Coach make the Watch 4 stand out, and the hardware has (with one exception) dramatically improved over the last two generations.

After a month of wearing the Pixel Watch 4, I'm happy to say that it fully lived up to my expectations, with all the positives you'd expect and very few complaints.

Google Pixel Watch 4: Pricing and specs

The Pixel Watch 4 launched October 9, 2025, for $349 (41mm) or $399 (45mm), with a $100 surcharge for 4G LTE and satellite SOS. Cellular models include 500MB of Google Fi messaging, navigation, and music streaming per month for two years; add it to an eligible 4G carrier for calling.

The Pixel Watch 4 45mm gives you a larger display and an estimated extra 10 hours of battery life per charge, while weighing 12–15g more with the included small or large Active band attached. The 41mm model is better suited to smaller wrists, while both fit larger wrists.

Google Pixel Watch 4 design and display

• Rounded 3,000-nit, 60Hz display stretches right up to curved edge
• Design is now user-repairable, though not especially rugged

Both Pixel Watch 4 models measure the same size and weight as their Pixel Watch 3 predecessors, with the same band mechanism for old straps to carry over. The complimentary fluoroelastomer Active band is comfortable enough, but I prefer other Pixel Watch bands, like Sport for workout breathability or Stretch for sleep tracking.

The 41mm model is pleasantly light (~55g with band), on par with sportier watches, while the 45mm model (~67g) is significantly comfier than my Galaxy Watch 8 Classic or other steel-heavy flagship smartwatches. The crown remains as pleasant to use as ever, while the side button is more annoying to press.

Even though the overall feel hasn't changed, the Pixel Watch 4 design feels like the series' final form: the look Google always wanted to pull off.

Older models' rounded edges contrasted oddly with the flat, bezel-less top, giving them a naked, artificial look that not everyone liked. The domed Actua 360 display is a more natural design progression, while also stretching the touchscreen to the edge, removing the wasted border space I hated on the Watch 2.

You'll need time to adjust to the domed display, which embellishes the Wear OS 6 effect of magnifying centered content. It's certainly helpful for making notifications and Tiles more readable, but you don't usually see warping like this on a display, and the dome adds slight resistance to left-right swipes.

I can't predict whether you will like the display. My coworkers who've seen it for themselves either think it's the "best looking display" on any smartwatch or it's a weird distraction. But you won't know until you get your hands on it.

In my case, it's grown on me, with the display's vivid brightness and smooth scrolling improving the experience. In particular, Google's 1.49-inch 45mm model looks more natural than before, and I appreciate how Wear OS reflows content to leverage that extra space.

Another important upgrade is how Google made the Watch 4 fully repairable. I haven't attempted it myself, but knowing I can remove the bands, unscrew two screws with a cheap bit to loosen the real glass seal, and access the components in 20 minutes is exciting.

Most smartwatches' components are fused with heat and glue; an expert can disassemble and resolder them, but with no guarantee they'll still work or maintain waterproofing. Google's 100-page repair manual ensures you're not dependent on the warranty if something goes wrong.

Google's signature bezel-less design and missing sapphire glass have always made it more vulnerable to scratches and cracks than other fitness watches. I still wouldn't recommend it to mountain climbers, but it's easier to recommend for everyday athletes thanks to its repairability.

Google Pixel Watch 4 hardware, battery, and charging

• Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 adds satellite but only minor efficiency boost
• Battery life continues to creep upwards to two-day range
• Charging is significantly faster with new Dock

I expected the Watch 4's Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 to deliver a generational performance boost, the culmination of Google and Qualcomm's RISC-V partnership. Instead, Qualcomm used the same 4nm process and quad Cortex-A53, though it's 20% more efficient.

You won't find any lag navigating through menus or notifications, while anything that requires internet — like Gemini commands or searching the Play Store — has minimal loading. Without your phone on hand to relay things, though, my Watch 4 LTE can be slow at some tasks, like pulling up Google Maps directions.

I suspect the Gen 2 will be a stopgap chip, with the Pixel Watch 5 enhancing on-device Gemini smarts and overall speed. But hypotheticals aside, Watch 4 performance is fast enough for now.

Only Watch 4 LTE buyers will get the coolest W5 Gen 2 perk: satellite SOS that connects to Skylo's NB-NTN for emergencies in cellular dead zones. If your phone has satellite, it might feel superfluous, but since the Watch 4 will probably outlast your phone battery, it could easily pay off when you desperately need it.

Google also gave the Watch 4 a new coprocessor that's "25% faster at half the power," tailored for on-device AI and background tasks. Then you have a more efficient connection between phone and watch via Bluetooth 6, on top of a 10% software efficiency boost from Wear OS 6.

The combined effect on battery life is subtle, but significant. You won't notice a difference for power-hungry tasks like phone calls or app use. But my Watch 4 45mm will get through an eight-hour workday of HR tracking, notifications, and AOD — or a night of HR, SpO2, stress, breathing, skin temp, and other stats — and only use about 15% battery, when an older Pixel Watch might have lost 33% in that span.

Even better, the Watch 4's Quick Charge Dock is absurdly fast. You might resent switching to a new proprietary charger, but trust me, it's worth the switch.

Yesterday, I finished a run at 30% power; I set a 15-minute timer, popped the Watch 4 on the Dock, took a shower, and came out to find it at 80% as the timer went off.

I no longer have to worry about scheduled charging times or my watch unexpectedly dying, so long as I charge it in convenient moments when I wouldn't wear it anyway.

Quick charging on smartwatches has become more common, but I appreciate how Google's Dock makes it easy to check time remaining. You do need a hard, solid surface for the Dock to sit, or else it's easy for the Watch 4 to become misaligned.

Google Pixel Watch 4: Health and fitness

• GPS accuracy has significantly improved, while HR accuracy is consistent enough for most athletes
• Sleep tracking is stricter than on most watches, with plenty of health insights
• Fitbit Personal Health Coach beta will transform the Watch 4 experience

If you're considering buying the Pixel Watch 4 for fitness, my in-depth Pixel Watch 4 fitness guide has several HR and GPS accuracy tests. The new dual-band GPS is both reliably accurate in tough conditions and surprisingly battery-efficient, only using about 8–10% Watch 4 capacity per hour. HR accuracy remains unchanged from the Watch 3, providing reasonably close readings to a chest strap in normal conditions but slightly underestimating HR during harder workouts.

I also detailed my wishlist of missing fitness tools on other watches: I'm waiting for Google to let us build offline GPX routes in Maps, add on-watch tracking of indoor exercise reps for the gym or at home, and add specific features like running power, aerobic/ anaerobic Training Load split, and post-workout recovery time.

On the health-tracking front, the only new hardware is the skin temperature sensor, designed to detect illnesses if your body strays out of its usual range. Otherwise, you're getting Google's usual suite of Fitbit sensors. During the day, it'll warn you of any heart rhythm issues or Loss of Pulse in emergencies, but most of its insights come at night.

Google's stats for my RHR, SpO2, HRV, breathing rate, and others all seem to align with what other watches register for me; the only difference from other watches is that Google is more prone to judge my light, restless sleep as being "Awake," even when I don't recall ever waking up.

It's tricky to review the Pixel Watch 4's health and fitness experience today, however. Why? Because the Fitbit Personal Health Coach preview fundamentally changes the conversation. The full version won't launch until 2026, but critiquing the current lame-duck Fitbit app for things the new version will solve feels silly.

In my Pixel Watch 3 review, I noted that Google needed longer-term plans for multiple sports instead of daily running suggestions and Cardio Load; now, you can build a weeks-long, personalized training plan across dozens of sports and over 1,000 exercise types, after about 5–10 minutes of AI Q&A, with more allowance for rest days.

Likewise, while I find the current Fitbit UI unintuitive, burying useful trends and reports in submenus, the Fitbit preview highlights relevant trends, good or bad, with contextual "Insight" cards in the Today tab.

I've already built a workout plan, tailored for my upcoming marathon, and asked the Gemini-based coach to switch today's workout because I'm working late (on this review). I can't judge its usefulness without weeks of testing, but the customization, flexibility, and inspiration for cross-training workouts all intrigue me.

Whether the Fitbit Coach lives up to Google's promises or not, this update fundamentally ties Fitbit and Gemini together on the Pixel Watch 4. In a few months, AI-made training goals and LLM summaries of your health trends will define the Watch 4 experience.

Google Pixel Watch 4: Software and Gemini

• Gemini Raise to Wake is one of my favorite features
• Wear OS 6 is a significant, charming update
• Update longevity is still a question mark

Wear OS 6 has already come to older Pixel Watches, but it's still worth praising as one of the best parts of using the Pixel Watch 4.

The new Material 3 Expressive UI matches the domed display, expanding or shrinking content depending on its display placement; the smooth, dynamic scrolling animation is hypnotic, both for the app drawer and notification cards.

The new Tile format can fit more information and shortcuts than before. I prefer Samsung's multi-info Tiles, which let you scroll to find more information and combine related apps into one Tile, but Google's solution is the next best thing.

Google gave the Pixel Watch 4 new watch faces that fit extra complications or clock elements into the extra space. Even cooler, Wear OS 6 changes the UI's color theme based on which watch face you select. Plus, Google brought back third-party watch faces support for tens of thousands of options, though you can only apply themes from Google faces.

Wear OS 6 was a much-needed breath of fresh air that makes the Watch 4 more fun to use, and Google's speedy updates for last-gen watches should pay off over the next 2–3 years. My only complaint is that Google only guarantees two version updates, while Samsung offers three or four.

Gemini on Wear OS isn't exclusive to Pixel Watches, either; you get LLM-generated answers and integration with Google apps on most Wear OS watches. But Google gave itself an exclusive twist: Raise to Talk.

As the name implies, you no longer need to say "Hey Google" or hold down the Side button; you just raise the Pixel Watch 4 to your mouth and start talking.

There's not much to say except that I love this alternative and no longer want to go back to the old ways. It's convenient and mostly seamless, though anyone who gesticulates as they talk may deal with false positives. You can change its Settings to make it more or less sensitive.

Competition

Galaxy Watch 8 is the Watch 4's most serious rival. Both cost $349, launched with Wear OS 6, last 1.5–2 days per charge, and sport two comparably-sized, 3,000-nit displays. Samsung's design is skinnier and more rugged with sapphire glass, but with slower charging and no crown. Samsung Health has unique data like antioxidant index, with no subscription (for now), but no Gemini-based coaching.

If you want Wear OS and longer battery life, the OnePlus Watch 3 can hit 3–6 days per charge, plus equally speedy charging. You get a slightly dimmer display, but with sapphire glass and eye-friendly DC dimming. The OHealth app has improved, but it's still well short of what Fitbit offers.

Otherwise, the Pixel Watch 4 is competing against other fitness watches. You can consider a Garmin watch to get personalized coaching without a subscription and weeks of battery life, at the expense of app smarts.

Google Pixel Watch 4: Should you buy it?

You should buy the Google Pixel Watch 4 if...

• You're a fan of Google's aesthetic (both the droplet display and Material UI)
• You're ready to upgrade your Pixel Watch for better battery, charging, fitness tracking, and Gemini

You shouldn't buy the Google Pixel Watch 4 if...

• You'd prefer a flat display and classic bezeled design
• You're not willing to pay for Fitbit Premium eventually

Unless Google ever launches a Pixel Watch "Ultra" or "Classic," I don't think we're going to see a dramatic design change anytime soon. Future models might have faster performance, new Gemini tricks, and further battery optimization, but this should be the template moving forward.

You can always wait another year for Google to finish polishing its Gemini and Fitbit coaching experiences, but from a hardware perspective, the Pixel Watch 4 feels like an excellent jumping-on point. If this package doesn't tempt you, I don't think future Pixel Watches will, either.

iFixit says the Google Pixel Watch 4 is the most repairable smartwatch available today. That doesn't mean you or I should try to repair it, as the actual repair process is time-consuming and challenging. That doesn't change the fact that repairability matters if we're going to take smartwatches more seriously.

Look at the official 118-page Pixel Watch 4 repair manual. It's extremely detailed on every step, safety precaution, part, and tool that you'll need, including flowcharts for every part you'll need to interact with to repair a specific part.

For mechanical nerds, or even laymen like myself, it's extremely cool to see how the Pixel Watch 4 was jigsawed together with removable parts without compromising the IP68 protection; compared to the unrepairable Watch 3, things won't break if you take it apart. You just need the technical know-how to reassemble it.

Smartwatch repair for dummies

For battery replacement, Google told me it aimed to make it as simple as repairing a quartz watch; you can remove the back with exposed screws in the band slot, using tools that'll only cost about $10 on iFixit. The battery itself isn't for sale yet, but let's assume it'll be no more than a Pixel phone battery ($30–50).

You should use your one-year limited warranty first and let the pros handle it, Google said, but you can do it if you're technically confident or past the first year. The iFixit guide certainly makes it look straightforward.

For every other component, though, they likened it to fixing a mechanical watch, something that's not for the faint of heart.

iFixit gave the Watch 4 a 9/10 rating for repairability, saying they were "inside within minutes" and had little trouble detaching the display from the replaceable gasket, then removing the Snapdragon W5 Plus Gen 2. But they do that kind of thing for a living.

If you get something wrong during disassembly or reassembly, you're left with an out-of-warranty bundle of parts; you'll have to give it to a repair person and hope they can put Humpty Dumpty back together again.

As someone who gets overwhelmed assembling Ikea furniture, I'll pass. Still, the Pixel Watch 4's repairability has proven that we can (and should) expect better from other brands.

Smartwatch repairability matters, even if YOU can't do it

If you're lucky, you'll never have to take advantage of the Watch 4's repairability during its three-year software support window. A battery swap wouldn't be too expensive, but iFixit suggested a new display will cost about $100, high enough that "lots of people won’t choose repair" when they can upgrade instead.

Still, you have the option, and local repair shops are more likely to offer their services if you can point them to extensive step-by-step documentation.

Meanwhile, iFixit gave the Apple Watch S10 a 3/10, because it relies on tight seams and adhesive with no official guides; without Applecare, you're out of luck. And iFixit cut ties with Samsung in 2024 because it relies too much on adhesives that made replacement parts too expensive — though the Galaxy Watch Ultra got a solid 7/10.

If I'm buying an $800 Apple Watch Ultra 3 designed to last for 5+ years of software support, I want someone to be able to take it apart and fix a faulty component, even if it's not me or Apple doing it.

The same principle applies to Garmin watches; they're more expensive than ever and use AMOLED displays that could show burn-in after a few years. People love making Garmin watches last for years, but if something goes wrong, most non-Fenix Garmin watches allegedly use glue for waterproofing, so you have to hope Garmin will send you a new model.

Repairability gives us more third-party backup options if warranty repairs are either unavailable or too expensive. It also reduces waste and makes it more likely that we could get a thriving refurbished market for older watches, with proper retrofits instead of skin-deep fixes.

Smartwatches are still treated like accessories that get a pass in areas like repairability, and I can accept that for a $100 fitness band. But for expensive, rugged fitness watches or "Ultra" flagships that cost as much as a phone, I think it's fair to ask that these brands stop taking design shortcuts, switch out glue for screws, and make repair guides and parts available at launch.

If the Pixel Watch 4 did it, why not bigger, more expensive watches?

Weeks of testing the Pixel Watch 4 early have given me plenty of time to enjoy Wear OS 6, with more useful Tiles, better color theming, smoother animations, and new watch faces. And since Google wasted no time launching the new OS on the Pixel Watch 2 and 3, you can try these perks out for yourself.

Assuming we don't see any post-launch bugs or rollbacks like with Wear OS 5 and 5.1, then I'll only have one suggestion to improve Wear OS 6 — and one lingering concern about Google's long-term update plans.

But first, the positives.

Buttery smooth animations

Scrolling on Wear OS 6 is beautifully smooth. I love the effect of notifications or app drawer icons emerging outward or shrinking away to nothing. The effect is magnified with the Watch 4's domed display, but looks just as dynamic on my flatter Pixel Watch 3 display.

Animations like the Edge button emerging from the display edge don't just look cool; there's also a functional benefit to ending a menu with the most logical action, like switching the app drawer to List View if you couldn't find something, or clearing all notifications once you've scrolled through them all.

The new Tiles, too, use Edge buttons for opening full apps if the shortcuts or center info don't do what you need. And they're more useful than before because they fit more information.

Plus, the Wear OS 6 update adds subtle improvements that seem vital and obvious in retrospect, like Dialog pop-ups with ✔️ and ✖️ buttons to accept or reject an option, or a Scrollbar showing how much scrollable content is remaining.

People may focus on how much smoother and prettier Wear OS 6 is, but it's also more functional than before, closer to the usability you'd expect on a phone.

Wear OS comes alive

Wear OS 6 also adds color theming pulled from first-party watch faces or third-party watch face support via the Watch Face Push API. The best custom watch face apps don't support the Watch 4 yet, but should very soon. I've already tricked out my Watch 3 with some WFF-compliant Halloween cheer.

Google's first-party watch face selection is more limited than Samsung's, and the new Pixel Watch 4 faces haven't come to the older models yet, so I'd say Pixel Watch owners benefit from the return of third-party faces even more than Galaxy Watch fans.

Wear OS 6 will pull up to three colors from your watch face and insert them into the menu UI, notifications, and Tiles. It's a subtle thing, but I absolutely love that an impromptu face swap changes the rest of the watch to match my current mood.

It's too bad the theming tool doesn't pull from custom faces. A Facer rep told me earlier this year that they're hoping Google allows this at some point, among other WFF upgrades like 3D faces. But we'll have to wait until Wear OS 7 or later.

Google's new Tiles are great in a vacuum

Old Wear OS Tiles were too boring and generic. They usually highlighted one option or information field, with limited usability and no Edge button to push things along. They mostly looked the same, and swiping through every Tile to find what you needed was a chore.

Wear OS 6's three-slot Tile layout fits in more information, but it's also less uniform than before. Apps like Gmail or Calendar have two full-width slots to show more text, while Maps and Contacts prioritize having five button options. It's easier to differentiate between them at a glance, and they've become more useful.

Here's my problem: I think that the Galaxy Watch 8's One UI 8 Watch Tiles are even better! Called "multi-info tiles," they let you scroll down through multiple widgets in one menu and customize how much space each widget takes up. While the Pixel Watch 4 has whole, separate Tiles for heart rate and steps, you could easily fit that info and a few other health stats in one quick-scrollable Samsung Tile.

Samsung phones also let you stack widgets that show more information in one slot; maybe One UI is just better equipped to create a Tile like this than the stock Pixel OS.

Even if Google doesn't copy Samsung completely, I wouldn't mind if it unleashed Tiles in Wear OS 7 to allow scrolling to fit more information. Imagine if you could use the crown to wheel through more new emails, Keep tasks, recent podcasts, etc., than just two; maybe five or ten could be the limit!

For now, even though I prefer the Pixel Watch 4 over my Galaxy Watch 8 Classic in several ways, Samsung does have the edge in compactly sharing information.

One lingering Wear OS 6 question

Wear OS 6 came to the Pixel Watch 3 and Pixel Watch 2 with the October update, but not the Pixel Watch 1. I asked my Google rep if the Watch 1 will receive it eventually, and they had "nothing to share at this time."

Google and Samsung promise three and four years of software updates, respectively, but never specified whether that means three or four version updates. Samsung did eventually confirm that the Galaxy Watch 4, which started with Wear OS 3 and received 3.5, 4, and 5, will receive Wear OS 6 as its last update.

We have reason to hope that Google will give the Pixel Watch 1 its third and final version update at some point. But if they don't, then it'll give Samsung watches the edge for software longevity, since they'll be receiving double the version updates.

Ray-Ban Meta glasses' signature feature is having Meta AI on your face. Likewise, your Galaxy or Pixel Watch has the new appeal of constant Gemini access on your wrist. Now that I've tested both, I wanted to do a quick, candid breakdown of what each experience offers and which will be more useful to you.

I'm not comparing smartwatches and smart glasses' general value, nor trying to say whether Gemini or Meta AI is "smarter." Both LLMs have their weaknesses and hallucinations, and I won't stir up controversy over brand loyalties.

This is very specifically about whether Meta's camera-based, hands-free AI in its Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) glasses — and upcoming Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses — is better positioned to help you than an always-listening Gemini on your wrist.

What Meta AI on Ray-Ban and Oakley glasses can and can't do

Meta AI can:

• Offer general Llama 4-based information with LLM-generated answers
• Use multimodal AI to interpret an image from your camera, then answer a question or remember information.
• Live translate between French, Italian, Spanish, and English speakers
• Use Live AI for extended conversations with no wake words
• Sync with Android/iOS phone and messaging apps, plus a few others (Spotify, Audible, Instagram, Google Calendar, etc.)

Meta wants to eventually offer "contextual AI" that records and interprets everything you see throughout the day, automatically remembering who you've spoken to, where you've parked, what you've eaten, and so on. All the AI processing would need to be done on-device to forestall the obvious privacy concerns, and it would need to be incredibly efficient.

For now, Live AI is Meta's closest equivalent, and it consumes about 1.5% of my Ray-Ban Gen 2 capacity per minute of use, on pace for an hour total. Still, it has serious potential, especially for helping the visually impaired navigate and interpret their surroundings.

Ray-Ban Meta and Oakley Meta HSTN glasses pull answers to your questions from the Llama 4 model in the Meta AI companion app. In my testing, the multimodal AI identified plants or landmarks with decent accuracy.

My favorite moment was using my glasses in Barnes & Noble to get summaries and review data about books with cool covers, with my phone in my pocket.

In its worst moments, Meta AI tells me it can't answer my questions or answers confidently with incorrect information.

Aside from the usual LLM hallucinations, the main problem is that you don't have a viewfinder, so you can't tell if you're close enough (or too close) to your subject. Sometimes, Meta fixates on something nearby your subject; other times, I need to change my angle to give it a better vantage.

Meta's AI answers tend to be brief, summarizing the answer in about 10–15 seconds before letting you follow up for more info. The Meta Ray-Ban Display can show longer text answers, but audio-only will be the norm for most people. Fair warning, Meta AI does tend to equivocate, suggesting I "do more research" on its answers.

What Gemini on Pixel or Galaxy Watches can and can't do

Gemini on Wear OS can:

• Offer general Gemini-based information and LLM-generated answers
• Pull information from a wider range of Google & Samsung apps
• Perform tasks on the watch itself, such as setting timers or starting an activity
• Trigger favorite commands via the Gemini Tile

The Gemini Wear OS app has its fair share of one-star reviews, citing installation issues and internet bugs, although I haven't experienced them while testing Gemini on the Galaxy Watch 8.

Rather than try to quantify how Gemini 2.5 Flash stacks up against Llama 4, I'll simply say that Gemini has its own hits and misses, but tends to provide me with more accurate, up-to-date information than Google Assistant did. Because Wear OS offers a display, Gemini can list out much more information while also reading it out; this makes information retention a bit easier, though Gemini tends to ramble more than Meta AI.

Unlike future Gemini AI glasses, Gemini's Wear OS version can't interpret your surroundings for extra context. Your phone offers Gemini Live for in-depth conversations with screen sharing and multimodal photo/video analysis, but the wearable version can't match Meta's Live AI.

We may eventually get Apple Watches with cameras that "see the outside world and use AI to deliver relevant information," with Android watches potentially following suit. However, pointing a watch at something will never be as natural as simply looking at it with the naked eye.

Both Gemini on Wear OS and Meta AI depend on your phone, but Android watches have the processing and battery power to be more independent. I doubt we'll see standalone glasses with LTE capabilities anytime soon, and the Pixel Watch 4 has on-device AI tricks like suggested replies to messages, with more to come.

Google also has the advantage when it comes to Gemini Extensions. Meta AI has a surprisingly robust list of connections, most notably your iOS or Android calling and messaging apps. But Gemini offers email summaries, smart home controls, Maps reviews, and better communication between apps, like pasting Search results into a message or a Keep reminder.

Neither is the 'perfect' form for AI

Gemini on Wear OS provides you with AI insights, offering better battery life, comfort, and power than smart glasses can reasonably provide. It gives you better tools for using or responding to your AI data, but its multimodal capabilities will always be limited.

Meta AI on Ray-Ban or Oakley glasses can pull real-time data from what you're seeing and hearing in a very natural way. However, the hardware has a long way to go, and you may encounter more pushback from wearing cameras on your face.

Both of these AI form factors overlap, but I think they're specialized (and limited) enough that neither will be the definitive way to use AI anytime soon. Heck, I'm sure many people will continue to use their phones' AI apps. But it should be exciting to watch both new AI form factors improve with time.

Hypertension warnings on the Apple Watch Series 11 and Ultra 3 are the most universal "killer feature" I've seen on a smartwatch in years. It's not direct blood pressure monitoring, but that almost makes Apple's new system more compelling — and rival brands will be scrambling to emulate it.

Users in Europe or Asia can get smartwatch-based blood pressure tracking with a Huawei Watch D2 or Galaxy Watch 8 (with a cuff). But unless you're aware of chronic high blood pressure issues, you may not take advantage of this tool often. And a smartwatch won't replace a medical-grade blood pressure monitor.

I won't downplay the usefulness of convenient, on-the-go smartwatch BP checks for anyone unwilling to go to a doctor. But since Samsung has never gotten FDA approval — and several clinical studies with Galaxy Watches showed "insufficient accuracy" and "substantial pre-post calibration BP difference" — it's not something I'd actively recommend to at-risk relatives, even if I could.

Samsung also has a newer, indirect method of predicting hypertension — its Vascular Load stat — but it's not as straightforward as Apple's method, which will come to "more than 150 countries and regions," including the U.S. and EU this month, and pass FDA clearance "soon."

Once it does, I could see the Apple Watch Series 11 becoming even more popular than past models. Anyone in an at-risk age group, or whose family is predisposed to chronic high blood pressure, will want these early warning signs.

Apple found a depressingly common condition to predict

The CDC reports that 119.9 million American adults, or 48.1%, suffer from hypertension, while only 27 million have their condition "under control." 34 million Americans with hypertension had yet to fill or start taking their prescriptions. And "1 in 5 adults with high blood pressure is unaware of it and would not report having it."

Hypertension was a "primary or contributing cause of 664,470 deaths" in the United States in 2023, primarily from heart attack, heart failure, or stroke. Worldwide, the WHO estimates 1.28 billion people have hypertension, with only 42% "diagnosed and treated."

These numbers speak for themselves. Chronic high blood pressure is painfully common, and the people with it either aren't aware or aren't willing to treat themselves, whether due to financial concerns or because they're otherwise healthy and assume they don't need to worry.

For something like sleep apnea or AFib, a smartwatch alert is obviously useful, but at least these conditions have physical symptoms that you could detect on your own. With hypertension, Apple correctly notes in its press release, it "often has no symptoms" and "can be easily missed" if you only get readings once a year at the doctor's office.

Apple used "training data from multiple studies totaling over 100,000 participants," synced up against a "clinical study of over 2,000 participants," to make its machine learning algorithm. It'll then compare 30 days of optical HR data against its own data to spot any warning signs.

Apple predicts that out of the millions of users with an Apple Watch S9, S10, S11, Ultra 2, or Ultra 3, it'll spot signs of hypertension in a million people "within the first year."

That could very well prove hyperbolic, and I'll side-eye Apple if the FDA takes long to validate the feature. However, I'm truly optimistic that this could end up being a widespread tool, building awareness for a pervasive and dangerous condition. Regardless of which smartwatch brand you're a fan of, that's a great thing.

Android and fitness watches have their own life-saving tools

Anyone who wears a Galaxy Watch 8, Watch 8 Classic, or Watch Ultra 24/7 will get Samsung's Vascular Load data, which takes your sleep data and "measures blood volume and vascular stiffness and precisely analyzes changes in stress on blood vessels."

Arterial stiffness is one potential sign of hypertension, among other heart conditions. But Samsung's Vascular Load graph is more about pointing out how lifestyle choices like sodium intake or drinking cause heart strain in the short term, and while that's valid, it also puts the onus on the user to get better scores when the true cause might be genetic. Plus, it focuses on sleep strain, not necessarily strain during the day.

I think Samsung could end up launching something more targeted to hypertension in the future, based on the data it collects now, and it should. Hopefully, other Android watch brands will follow suit eventually.

As for other life-saving smartwatch tricks, the most obvious one is Google's Loss of Pulse detection, which contacts emergency services during cardiac arrest or other major heart issues. If no one is around to report it, this could save your life, though it's obviously a last resort for someone with unresolved health issues.

On the preventative front, Samsung, Google/Fitbit, Withings, and Apple offer passive irregular heart rhythm warnings. More brands offer ECGs for active AFib data, but you may not use them after getting one "normal" sinus reading; passive data is vital for making more people aware they should check their heart regularly, just like hypertension alerts point people toward using a BP machine.

It's clearer than ever that we're entering the medical era of wearables. Samsung is offering virtual doctor visits and prescription management, while the Pixel Watch 4 adds better temperature sensors to catch people "falling under the weather."

Apple's hypertension alerts are just the latest strike in this battle, but it's an impressive one. Knowing if you or loved ones are at risk for stroke, heart failure, or other conditions will intrigue a lot of people.

Wear OS 6 reintroduced custom watch faces to Android watches, with apps like Facer, WatchMaker, and TIMEFLIK providing the Galaxy Watch 8 and Pixel Watch 4 with a massive selection of faces. Other Wear OS watches won't get the update for some time, and trying out dozens of custom watch faces only made it clearer how exciting an exclusive feature this is.

After restricting old, battery-guzzling watch faces in Wear OS 5 with Watch Face Format (WFF), Google worked with Facer and other apps on a solution: the Watch Face Push API.

With Wear OS 6, each watch face app gets one "slot" in your watch's favorites menu, visible by tapping and holding the display. Pick a watch face in the mobile app, and it pushes onto that slot. Your watch's storage isn't cluttered with old faces because your latest pick overwrites the old one.

You can use as many watch face apps as are compatible with Wear OS 6, but since most of them require a subscription for the best faces, you'll probably want to stick with just one. So, I looked through the options in Facer, TIMEFLIK, WatchMaker, and Pujie to see which stood out.

Facer

Facer Premium: $40/year or $5/month

Facer is crammed with unofficial faces for popular brands like Pokémon, Totoro, Zelda, and Star Wars. However, Facer also has official brand partners, including SpongeBob, Garfield, Barbie, Star Trek, and Tetris, as well as "Watchmaker" faces designed to mimic luxury watch faces. You'll find plenty of high-quality designs to tempt you, along with the more amateurish ones.

The best aspect of Facer is that each face has a "power impact" rating, which warns you if it will affect your watch's battery life. You can also tap a Sun/Moon icon to swap between the active and AOD layout, checking in advance if the latter isn't too battery-intensive.

Facer has a wide range of Wear OS 6-compatible faces, and at least 100 are free if you want to try the app out without committing to Premium; considering Samsung and Google have about 60 and 30 official faces, respectively, that's nothing to sneeze at — even if the best options are paid.

There's also the Facer Creator tool, where you can create your own custom designs; it's meant for publishing faces for people to download or buy, but you can simply save your designs to your account's "My Designs" folder and upload them to your watch.

WatchMaker

WatchMaker VIP: $20/year or $5/month

WatchMaker has hundreds of thousands of WFF faces, though only 30 free ones at any one time. They do seem to switch from day to day, so you can try different ones, but can't save them. Generally speaking, you'll want to pay for the annual sub to use this app.

Like Facer, there's a wide range of casual user-made faces, and you can make your own with the "New Watch" button in the main menu — though you'll need to pay a separate, lifetime "Premium" fee of $12 to add your own custom images and get other design tools.

What makes WatchMaker tempting is that it has a large collection of curated face collections that emphasize a "classic" or "chic" aesthetic, perfect for my Galaxy Watch 8 Classic. The Knight Watch collection, in particular, looks really impressive, with years' worth of striking designs that will keep your watch looking fresh and unique.

The app UI isn't my favorite. The main menu is full of links to other apps instead of useful info, and the confusing split between Premium and VIP feels like a way to trick me into paying twice for things. But 130,000+ WFF faces could make you overlook these annoyances.

TIMEFLIK

Flik Pass Pro: $60/year or $5/month

If you're solely interested in finding free watch faces, TIMEFLIK is where you should start. You can find hundreds (if not more) of free WFF-compatible faces with a toggle on the main Home view or the "Top Free" view in the Popular tab.

Where nearly every face is paid in Facer and WatchMaker by design, TIMEFLIK will typically have a handful of free faces for every well-known pop culture or gaming icon you could think of, as well as people's personal drawings, photos, and AI slop.

The immediate downside to TIMEFLIK is that you need to watch an ad for every watch face you send to your watch, unless you pay $2.49/month. Since only one watch face is saved at a time, that means an ad every time you switch, even if it's one you've used before.

Outside of a few faces that rip off luxury watch looks, most of TIMEFLIK's paid and recommended faces tend to be on the amateurish side. That's not a bad thing if you're snagging a few paid faces that strike your fancy, but I'm not sure what'll justify spending $60/year for TIMEFLIK (after the first $10 annual pass deal).

Pujie

Pujie Premium: $2/month or $5 one-time payment

Pujie's second watch face app is specifically designed for Wear OS 6. It feels more restrained and indie than the others, with total downloads and comments visible under each face to give a sense of what the community thinks.

I like the simplicity of the main Gallery, which breaks down faces into categories like Trending, Popular designers, Complication overload, and so on. They're curated to highlight specific styles, such as analog vs. digital, that you may prefer.

You'll find about 20 free watch faces. Otherwise, being able to pay $5 for all current and future watch faces is a pretty good deal, considering that's how much you'll pay monthly on other apps — even if Pujie has fewer faces than other apps.

Even though I found Pujie's face collection to be very community-driven, one — a nice way of saying many of them are just okay — the top curated picks are great, and the complex watch face designer will let you make your own if you're dedicated enough to try.

Google's new AI personal health coach will put your health, sleep, and workout data through a Gemini blender and spew out personalized training recs. Pixel Watch 4 and Fitbit watch owners will get to try it out in October, but this AI tool has unearthed an old bone I have to pick with Google: why can't new Pixel and Fitbit watches exist at the same time?

Around the Pixel Watch 3 launch, Engadget asked Google if we'd ever see a "Fitbit-branded smartwatch" again. Google said Pixel Watches are its "next iteration of smartwatch for Fitbit" and that Fitbit hardware would focus on "minimalistic, long-lasting trackers" like the Inspire 3 moving forward.

You can still buy the 2022 Fitbit Sense 2 or Versa 4 and feed Fitbit's new AI with HR, sleep, stress, and cardio load data. A Google spokesperson told me that the newest and best Fitbits "give the personal health coach the most information to work with."

However, the spokesperson wouldn't comment on whether these old Fitbits would provide the "full" coaching experience. Aside from the Pixel Watch 4 having more accurate data with dual-band GPS and newer HR/sleep algorithms, only the latest Pixel Watches will import the AI coach's custom workouts onto your wrist for guidance.

Google has every right to push its Pixel Watches as the best smartwatch experience for athletes. However, I still think this strategy excludes many people who'd love a Fitbit coach but prefer a classic Fitbit watch.

Why the Fitbit AI coach sounds so intriguing

After telling Gemini your current workout goals, the Fitbit AI health coach will generate training plans with weekly benchmarks to hit. You'll receive a workout plan tailored to your unique goals and fitness level, which adjusts automatically based on your sleep quality, cardio load, and other factors.

On top of that, you can ask Gemini for advice on sleep, training, or health and have it "analyze your trends" to provide a personalized answer, instead of the generic response most fitness chatbots give.

Best of all, you can simply explain that you're not feeling well or have an injury, and the AI will shift your training plan accordingly, such as swapping an hour of HIIT to 30 minutes of yoga because of high sleep debt.

Smartwatches with personalized workout suggestions are rare. Garmin watches have daily suggested workouts and personalized training plans. What could give Fitbit an edge, however, are these "real-time check-ins and adjustments."

My Garmin Forerunner 970 can adjust my workout suggestions if my cardiovascular or muscular load is too high. But its algorithm can't detect things like sickness, an injury, or pregnancy that prevent you from following its plan; nor can you easily change out a specific workout if you're busy.

To be able to tell Fitbit, "Can you push my track workout to Friday and give me an easy run for today?" and have your schedule update in seconds feels dynamic enough to justify the subscription cost, if it works as advertised.

Google doesn't have much AI fitness competition. Garmin Connect Plus and Strava's Athlete Intelligence incorporate your workout stats into chatbot summaries, but Strava's Runna plans and Garmin Coach have no equivalent way to "talk" to them or swap to a new workout rec easily.

Samsung reportedly plans to launch an AI Health Coach this year, which can incorporate your Galaxy Watch 8 health data and doctor's recommendations for healthcare guidance, facilitated by a chatbot. The stakes are lower for Google's fitness- and wellness-focused AI, which could make it easier to pull off.

That's why Fitbit's personal coach seems so promising, and why it's a shame more people won't get a chance to try it.

Some people just don't want a 'smartwatch'

Fitbit used to dominate wearable sales charts, but fell behind as people shifted away from Charge-style fitness bands to smartwatches and cheaper fitness watches. It was last ranked 10th on Counterpoint's sales list in 2022, down from 7th in 2021. Nowadays, Huawei, Xiaomi, Apple, and Samsung take nearly two-thirds of total sales (per IDC), while Garmin has crept into fifth.

I'm not saying it'd be easy for Fitbit to compete with these international brands. But Garmin does well selling painfully expensive watches to athletes on the strength of its training recommendations and watches that last for weeks per charge. Fitbit watches target a different demographic, but with similar perks.

Fitbit's personal health coach could ride the wave of AI popularity, but the ChatGPT crowd it would resonate with may use iPhones or a different Android brand, and wouldn't try a Pixel Watch linked with Pixel phones as readily as a standalone Fitbit.

Several of my extended family members use an iPhone and a Fitbit, or did until they stopped making new Fitbits. I know they'd enjoy talking to a "smarter Siri" about losing weight or beginner workout routines, but they wouldn't buy a new phone or a tiny Fitbit Inspire band to try it, nor trade a week of battery life away for apps.

Likewise, most of my local running club members wear dedicated fitness watches that prioritize longevity. The Pixel Watch 4 might work for runners because its speedy charging could top off the used battery while they shower, but I don't know how many of them will be willing to lose that comforting battery buffer.

If Google sold a Fitbit Sense 3 or Versa 5 that got the Watch 4's new health sensors, better GPS accuracy, and satellite SOS paired with a week of battery life, both casual and serious athletes would trade away the other Pixel Watch 4 perks for that. Google would get a lot more Fitbit Premium subscribers, both Android and iOS.

Since that's unlikely to happen, we'll see if Google's Pixel exclusivity gambit pays off and more athletes switch to Pixel phones for these AI coaching insights.

The new Google Pixel Watch 4 has dual-band GPS for the first time, catching up with rival brands like Samsung, Apple, and Garmin. I had the chance to speak with Munjal Shah, Senior Product Manager for the Pixel Watch 4, about how their version of dual-frequency GPS works, why it was important to add, and why he's excited for me, personally, to try it.

When I reviewed the Pixel Watch 3, one of my few complaints was its unreliable GPS accuracy. Any trees, buildings, or other signal blockages would send my workout line careening off course, messing with my total run distance. It made it hard to recommend the Watch 3 to runners, despite the useful coaching and training load tools.

Turns out, the Pixel Watch team read my review. They emailed me prior to launch, asking if I wanted to learn more about their new L5 GPS tracking and how it works.

I won't know how good the Pixel Watch 4 dual-frequency GPS is until I test it myself, sometime around its October 9 release date. But Shah said all the right things to suggest they understand why better GPS accuracy matters to runners so much.

How dual-frequency GPS works, and why it matters

By default, a standard fitness watch uses L1 GPS, the oldest signal standard available. It's perfectly capable of tracking you in an open field, but the low-powered signal is easily refracted by "urban canyons and highly dense tree areas," Shah explained. They skew your detected position and make it hard for GPS satellites to reacquire your location.

L5 GPS signals have existed for a decade, but are still considered cutting-edge. Initially designed for aircraft guidance where exact positioning is essential, L5 GPS has a more stable signal with a wider bandwidth, capable of cutting through signal noise.

Fewer satellites are capable of broadcasting L5 signals, and it has a higher power demand. But as a secondary source, they can pinpoint you in tandem with L1 signals, ensuring that your location is accurate...in theory.

In practice, some dual-frequency GPS watches are more accurate than others. It's as much about the watch's satellite chip and any course-correcting software as the L5 signal itself.

"Dual-band GPS was one of our key interest areas," Shah explained. They wanted to "truly solve users' problems" with their workout data, in response to customer feedback from athletes who were frustrated with their wobbly GPS-only data (myself included).

Shah doesn't think this is a niche feature, either. Dual-frequency GPS "truly elevates the running experience" because your "real-time pace is a lot more accurate." Serious runners need to gauge how fast their target race pace feels, while casual runners must ensure they don't overtrain or develop a false sense of security.

On that same note, Shah says better GPS accuracy is really important for your "post-workout summaries." Google relies on your workout data to inform its new Fitbit AI coach, which judges how fit you are and recommends detailed workout plans; so you want its data on you to be as accurate as possible.

How Google made its dual-frequency GPS more accurate

The Pixel Watch 4 has help on this front, as the first smartwatch to use the new Snapdragon W5 Gen 2. This new chipset doesn't offer any major performance boost, but it features a new RFFE for location-based machine learning. According to Qualcomm, a dual-band Gen 2 watch will be 50% more accurate than a standard GPS-only watch in challenging areas.

Shah said that "it has been great" working with them, and that the "Watch 4 hardware enabled us to go in the direction of dual-band GPS." But he played things a bit coy when I asked how much of the Pixel Watch 4's accuracy comes from them, and how much comes from Qualcomm.

That said, Shah made it clear that the product management team had to do a lot of work to pull dual-frequency GPS off, and that it wasn't just Qualcomm's new hardware.

They had to collect "thousands of hours of data" from around the world to make sure that the Watch 4's dual-frequency GPS worked properly. Unlike Garmin watches, which simultaneously use dual-frequency GPS and other GNSS like GLONASS or GALILEO, the Pixel Watch 4 relies globally on L1 + L5 GPS.

According to Shah, it's dual-frequency GPS that provides the "most accurate route tracking possible" in all Pixel Watch 4 markets, making other satellite system data redundant.

He also acknowledged that dual-frequency GPS typically has a major impact on battery life, which they take "very seriously." So they "did their due diligence" and found a way to implement it so that the "performance of the battery isn't impacted much." Because of that, there's no way to choose GPS-only tracking to save battery life; dual-frequency GPS will be the only option.

While Shah wouldn't discuss future features or updates, he said that the Pixel Watch team plans to continue to deliver the "best of the best" fitness hardware, and that he's excited for me to try out the Pixel Watch 4's dual-frequency GPS accuracy for myself.

I recently reviewed the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic and found that its dual-band GPS wasn't nearly as precise as I'd expect, and that its live pace data was consistently off my real-world pace. So there's room for the Pixel Watch 4 to swoop in as a much better Android running watch option, if its accuracy lives up to Shah's hype.

If it does, the Pixel Watch 4 could easily become one of the best running watches of the year. I'm not taking it for granted until I test the GPS for myself, particularly around forests, buildings, and tracks. But Shah seems supremely confident that his team's watch will live up to the challenge.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 is a dense device, offering a ton of features in a small package. Aside from the initial onboarding where you sign into Google and download a few apps, Samsung largely leaves you to figure things out for yourself. You can easily miss out on quality-of-life features if you don't search through menus for them.

That's where I come in. Having reviewed the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic — as well as the Ultra, 6 Classic, and 5 Pro — I'm intimately familiar with Samsung's One UI Watch software, including the newest features like the Multi-Info Tiles, Now Bar, and Gemini that you'll want to dive into straight away.

These are the 10 Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 features or settings to activate or change straight out of the box. Note: You'll find Settings by either swiping down from the main watch face and tapping the cog icon or opening the Galaxy Wearable app on your phone.

Enable gestures and shortcuts

Even the best smartwatch UI can be tedious to navigate through, by virtue of the small screen. Save yourself a bunch of time by enabling shortcuts to your favorite apps out of the box.

Tap Settings > Buttons and Gestures. Here, Galaxy Watch 8 owners will find two shortcuts for the Home button; I like changing the Home double press to open my favorite app instead of the last app opened, and the long press to open Gemini instead of Bixby or the power menu.

You can also edit the back button short press, but "Go to previous screen" is too convenient for navigation to lose.

If you specifically have the Watch 8 Classic, you can edit the third Quick button; it defaults to Samsung Health exercises but can open your stopwatch, flashlight, water lock, camera controller, or voice recorder instead. You can also edit whether it triggers with a short or double press, though unfortunately, you can't choose a shortcut for each, only one.

Even if you don't edit your shortcuts, you will want to turn on gestures, which are disabled by default. The double pinch gesture is the most important one: You can answer calls, dismiss alarms and calendar alerts, or pause/restart your music playlist just by double-pinching your fingers.

From the main watch face, the double-pinch gesture opens the "Now Bar," showing the most important contextual data you need to know. And if you toggle the Secondary action on, a double pinch will take you to your latest notification or next Tile, without having to scroll.

Its companion is the Shake gesture: Twisting your fist up 90 degrees will also dismiss alerts and timers, as well as decline incoming calls or return to the main watch face from a notification. And the Knock knock gesture is like the Quick Button: It lets you trigger a specific shortcut, from the flashlight or stopwatch to any one of your favorite apps.

Edit your Tiles and add new ones

Wear OS Tiles have always highlighted info from one specific app or health tool at a time; One UI 8 Watch added new customizable "Multi-Info Tiles" that let you see more information per Tile. By default, Samsung groups your Tiles by Health, Fitness, and Basic, all visible past the main watch face.

My advice is simple: Customize the Tiles to make them your own. Scroll down to the bottom of any Tile and tap the + button; you'll be shown "Featured" Tile suggestions that fit the theme, followed by a list of all eligible apps with a Tile widget. Some apps have two Tile options: a condensed half-screen widget and a full-screen one.

For the Health tile, for example, you may want to add the antioxidant index, food calorie tracking, hydration tracking, medication reminders, mood tracking, cycle tracking, or the new Vascular Load widget. You might not want a full Tile dedicated to each, but now that they scroll down in one category, you're more likely to want to check them all at once.

You can also create a new Tile with whichever theme you think is appropriate; I created a Morning Tile with my alarms and reminders, for example.

So far, unfortunately, only Samsung apps work with the multi-info tiles; Google and third-party apps still take up a full Tile slot each. To add those, keep scrolling right past your current Tiles and tap the Add tiles button. If you don't see a specific Tile, make sure you have the app downloaded on your Galaxy Watch 8 from the Play Store; not all apps have Tiles, however.

Add new and custom watch faces

Samsung makes the best watch faces on Wear OS, with dozens of styles and hundreds of variations available. The simplest way to change your watch face is to tap-and-hold the main face to find your favorites, or swipe right and tap Add watch face to look through the available options. You can also customize to change the background image, style, color, indexes, and complications of a given watch.

I've always found customizing on-watch to be really finicky, so I recommend using the mobile Galaxy Wearable app, where you can see more options at once, including tons of "Premade" styles with varied colors and backgrounds.

Tap Watch faces in-app, and you can scroll through every option by category, or tap "Discover more watch faces" at the bottom to search by color, style, and specific data. I recommend saving ten faces or so on the watch, so you can quick-swap based on your mood.

Wear OS 6 also reintroduced third-party watch face apps like Facer, so you can add custom or branded faces like the SpongeBob face above. Each app gets one face slot on your watch, so you'll need to buy and choose faces in-app; they'll then automatically appear on your Galaxy Watch 8.

Limit notifications

One of the main perks of a Wear OS watch is actionable notifications, but it's also about sparing yourself from checking on every pocket buzz. You should make sure you only see the important stuff and save the rest for later.

In the Galaxy Wearable mobile app, tap Watch settings > Notifications > App notifications. Take a couple minutes to toggle off all the apps that you don't think are important to see. Then back up and decide whether to use Smart device selection — which limits watch notifications while your phone is active — or always show on both to be sure you don't miss anything.

In Advanced settings, anyone with bad eyesight can choose Read notifications aloud if they wish, while I personally toggle Turn on screen when notifications received for a visual signal to go with the vibration.

Start testing out Gemini

Now that Gemini has rolled out to Wear OS, you should take full advantage of it. It has better integration with Google and Samsung apps than Assistant did, plus the ability to search or use multiple apps with a single query. It's also prone to mistakes, to be fair, but it's not as limited as Assistant was.

Go to Settings > Google > Digital Assistant and toggle on the "Hey Google" wake word, or else follow the instructions above to make Gemini the long-press shortcut on the Home button.

By default, Gemini uses the same voice option chosen on your phone. To change it, go to the mobile Gemini app, tap your profile pic, then Settings > Gemini's voice. There are currently ten voices available to choose from, and it'll sync to your watch instantly.

As you start to ask Gemini questions, keep an eye on your display. The first time that an answer requires your location data, you'll have to give it permission. And Gemini will make you choose a default app for certain categories if Google and Samsung both have one, like Calendar or Messages.

Finally, you may want to create a Gemini Tile using the steps above. This is mainly if you want to create a consistent Gemini action, such as turning on/ off the smart lights in your home, to save yourself from having to ask every time.

AOD and screen timeout

The Galaxy Watch 8 is estimated to last 30 hours with AOD or 40 hours without. I've found the Watch 8 Classic easily outperforms that estimate with AOD as the default, but if battery life is your main concern, go to Settings > Display and toggle Always-On Display off.

You can also use a gesture to only show the display when you turn your wrist toward your face, which is a commonly used middle ground between AOD and tapping the display. To enable this, go to Settings > Display > Screen wake-up, then toggle on Raise wrist to wake.

Since battery life isn't a concern for me, I instead leave AOD on and change the Screen timeout and Show last app times.

By default, the Watch 8 times out after 15 seconds; five seconds after that, it forgets what you were looking at. I recommend extending these times to 30–60 seconds for the timeout and two minutes to still reopen to the last app or menu, so you can look away to check something on your phone, come back, and still see the relevant data.

Wear your Galaxy Watch 8 to bed

I don't like wearing smartwatches to bed, but plenty of Galaxy Watch owners don't mind the feeling. Unfortunately for me, a ton of Samsung Health data will only be available if you wear the Galaxy Watch 8 every night consistently.

From just one night of sleep, Samsung will give you an Energy Score, Sleep Score, blood oxygen levels and breathing rate, skin temperature, resting heart rate, and heart rate variability. It's a wide range of data meant to quantify whether you're sleeping healthily enough to stay at your best.

If you enable Sleep apnea detection in the Samsung Health Monitor app, Samsung will alert you after two days of sleep tracking if it sees signs of "moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea. It's not diagnostically accurate, but it gives you a reason to speak to a doctor if the signs are there.

After three nights of sleep, Samsung will generate a Vascular Load score. It judges whether your heart is under stress, whether from workouts or lifestyle impacts like sodium intake or blood pressure, and tells you whenever your load is higher than normal.

Samsung will also be able to judge your "sleep pressure" and circadian rhythm after three days to suggest an "optimal bedtime" that "maximizes alertness the next day." After a full week of sleep data, it'll start "coaching" you, giving you a sleep animal related to the type of sleeper you are and pushing you to form healthier bedtime habits.

Change your diet with antioxidant index

One of the main Galaxy Watch 8 headliner features is the antioxidant index, which measures your thumb for carotenoids, aka the antioxidant pigments in fruits and vegetables that give them their vibrant red, orange, and yellow coloring, and give you a healthy way to counterbalance the effects of aging and stress on your body.

Once you add the antioxidant index to your Health tile, measuring it is easy; you simply tap the widget, then Measure, then Ok under "Start measuring." Before pressing okay, take your watch off and press your thumb firmly against the rear sensors. It only takes about five seconds to measure, after which you'll be scored.

Early reviewers who pride themselves on eating healthily have found that Samsung's widget tends to score them badly, so don't be too discouraged if you get a low result. Any score above 75 means you have an "Adequate" amount of antioxidants; 50–74 means you're eating approximately 50–99% of your recommended daily antioxidants; and any score lower than that means you're at less than half.

Turn on Extend Unlock

If your Galaxy Watch 8 is paired to a Galaxy phone, you can sync them so that your phone stays unlocked so long as your Watch 8 is connected via Bluetooth.

In your phone settings, go to Lock screen and AOD > Extend Unlock, enter your phone PIN, then tap Trusted devices > Add trusted device and choose your Watch 8 from the list of devices.

At this point, your phone will remain unlock for four-hour periods at a time before needing you to reenter your passcode. This is less secure, but more convenient, and you at least know that it'll relock if someone steals your phone.

Activate the developer tools for fun

Wear OS has hidden developer settings that aren't really meant for everyday people, but are fun to try out if you think the regular One UI Watch settings are too limited.

Go to Settings > About Watch > Software Information. Find the field "Software version" and tap it five times; you should see a Developer Mode pop-up appear. After that, swipe left twice and you should see Developer options at the very bottom of the main Settings menu.

Here, you'll find plenty of obscure tools: The option to keep the display awake while charging, a vibration whenever the watch detects a connectivity change, better GPS accuracy, and the ability to shorten the animation screen that appears whenever you change menus.

The latest one added with Wear OS 6 is Force Global AOD Experience, which ensures that all apps have an always-on mode to keep showing data after the timeout window.

The beginning of your Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 journey

This isn't a comprehensive list; it's worth spending 10 minutes just going through every Settings menu for the things I missed. For example, you may want to open the Safety and Emergency settings and add your Medical info, toggle sending an SOS alert to your emergency contacts (along with 911), and enable fall detection.

Also, go onto the Play Store and download your phone's apps onto your watch — since this isn't done by default. For example, you may want to use a fitness app like Strava or Nike Run Club instead of Samsung Health directly.

Lastly, since Samsung changed the band mechanism on the Galaxy Watch 8 and Watch 8 Classic, your old watch bands won't work anymore. My colleague Namerah wrote guides on the best Galaxy Watch 8 bands and the best Watch 8 Classic bands if you want to rebuild your collection.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic will polarize, even frustrate, long-time fans. The "Classic" premise is to pay slightly more for a rotating bezel and a traditional, stylish design. Injecting an Ultra-style square case and charging $150 more is a hard sell.

Ironically enough, if you dislike this generation's boxy style, the Watch 8 Classic is still the best option: It's more "normal" than the bezelless Galaxy Watch 8 or massive Watch Ultra (2025), thanks to its stylish steel bezel masking the squircle case beneath it.

I imagine Galaxy Watch 6 Classic owners are eyeing the Watch 8 Classic skeptically, wondering if they can stand another two-year wait. As the person who reviewed both watches, I can speak to the changes you'll appreciate — and those you'll have to learn to live with.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic: Pricing and specs

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic ships on July 25 for $499 / £449 / €530 / CA$699 / ₹54,999, with a $50 surcharge for cellular support. For context, the Galaxy Watch 8 starts at $349 / £319 / €380 / CA$499 / ₹38,999.

Samsung offers trade-in deals for recent Samsung, Apple, or Garmin watches to cut down the price, with less credit for "any smartwatch, any condition."

The Watch 8 Classic is available in just two colors, Black or White. On Samsung's site, there are four default strap options available — Sport (silicone), Fabric, Athleisure (rubber), or Hybrid — each found in five colors.

The Galaxy Watch 8 Classic specs are below; it's mostly the same as the Watch 8, except that it's 33g heavier and 2mm thicker with 32GB of extra storage.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic design and display

• The Galaxy Watch 8 Classic only ships in one 1.34-inch display size.
• The new Dynamic Lug system helps straps fit your wrist more snugly.
• The ridged rotating bezel and 60-second scale are high points, but the Classic is still bulky.

The Watch 8 Classic's design is its main selling point and biggest question mark. Should you pay extra for the rotating bezel and third shortcut button, or skip it because it strays from the old rounded design?

For those who haven't tried a Classic bezel before, it's a massive improvement for exact controls over the default "touch bezel" on the Watch 8. You rarely scroll too far by accident, and it's become muscle memory to scroll clockwise to specific Tiles or counter-clockwise for recent notifications.

I especially like the Watch 8 Classic bezel because its ridged design is more striking than past models; the 6 Classic's bezel is easier on the fingers but almost too subtle for anyone to see, especially with my Black model. This version's bezel is rougher to the touch, but still easy to turn.

The last model prioritized display space, shrinking the border down so small that you could barely see the 60-second scale around the edge. The Watch 8 Classic border is much more striking but hems in the display, preventing a 1.5-inch option.

If you're swapping from the Watch 6 Classic 47mm, you'll find that the Watch 8 Classic 46mm weighs the same — about 3oz with the strap — and that the new "Dynamic Lug" system makes the watch strap sit more securely against your wrist.

I can't deny, though, that the 1.34-inch display will feel like a visual downgrade, with the enhanced 3,000 nits of brightness only applying during outdoor workouts. Those who bought the 1.3-inch Watch 6 Classic won't mind, but this model will be about 10g heavier and may look too bulky on small wrists.

Samsung also transplanted the third Quick Button from the Galaxy Watch Ultra. It triggers a shortcut with a single- or double-press, like starting an exercise, stopwatch, or flashlight; I only wish Samsung let you set up two shortcuts with it.

During workouts, pressing the Quick Button once pauses or restarts a workout, double-tapping it triggers a new lap or interval, and holding it down ends the workout. I find these very useful, but more sedentary buyers can make do with gesture shortcuts or Gemini commands.

It's difficult to say whether you will find the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic "attractive" enough to spend $150 more. It beats the Watch 8 for style, but not for comfort.

From your perspective wearing it, the Classic's rotating bezel and three rounded buttons cover up most of the squircle case along the top and right side, softening its artificial appearance. The left side is quite stark, flat, and chunky, but you won't see it, only others.

The normal Watch 8 display looks naked by comparison, but that also makes it that much lighter and skinnier. Unless you're accustomed to heavier smartwatches, the Classic's thick steel case might feel burdensome — especially for sleep tracking.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic: Battery and charging

• Samsung promises 30 hours per charge with always-on display (AOD) or 40 hours normally.
• The Watch 8 Classic takes about 90 minutes to hit 100% power.

Most Galaxy Watches last between 1–2 days, with the capacity slowly fading over time. The Watch 8 Classic is no exception; Wear OS 6 delivers a 10% software efficiency boost, but this hasn't changed Samsung's typical 40-hour estimate.

That said, the Watch 8 Classic idles extremely well. Even with AOD and the "Hey Google" wake word active, my Watch 8 Classic lasted across two nights of sleep tracking. Dozens of Gemini commands (plus AOD) burned about 20% battery across a full afternoon, but even that put it on pace for 25 hours; with more casual usage, it lasts twice as long.

For workouts, two hours of dual-band GPS tracking and a fully bright display burned about 20% battery, so 10 hours seems like a reasonable estimate with a full charge.

You may see faster battery burn if you spend more time outdoors or use music storage. You should upgrade to the Watch Ultra or OnePlus Watch 3 to guarantee more than two days per charge. But I'm happy with these results.

As for charging, it takes 90 minutes for the Watch 8 Classic to hit 100%, though you can get enough juice for sleep tracking in a short span. I appreciate that Samsung added an adaptive charging tool to keep it at 85–90% power, so overcharging doesn't ruin the capacity.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic: Health & fitness

• The Watch 8 series added Bedtime Guidance, Vascular Load, Running Coach, and Antioxidant Index.
• It offers plenty of sleep insights...if you can stand wearing the Classic to bed.
• The fitness accuracy and Running Coach aren't that reliable for serious athletes.

Of the Watch 8 series' four exclusive health features, only one (antioxidant index) has stood out to me. Another (Running Coach) is promising in theory but flawed in execution. And I haven't been able to gauge Bedtime Guidance and Vascular Load properly.

I've written an in-depth guide on how the antioxidant index works; the gist is that Samsung can detect the levels of carotenoids from red, orange, and yellow produce in your thumb's skin, estimating whether you're eating the recommended amount of nutritious produce per day.

My antioxidant index score has climbed from 56% to 90% after I radically changed my diet, validating that Samsung's sensor can truly detect healthier eating habits after a two-week buffer.

Most of Samsung Health's other insights require you to wear the Watch 8 Classic 24/7, like Energy Score, Sleep Score, SpO2, breathing rate, skin temperature, and HRV.

I wore it enough to judge that my HR, HRV, and SpO2 data are on par with other smartwatches' sleep results. But I haven't hit the 3–7 days of sleep necessary to judge your circadian rhythm (Bedtime Guidance) and heart health (Vascular Load) because the Classic is so uncomfortable to wear to sleep.

Aside from the thickness and weight, the Dynamic Lug system keeps it so snug against my wrist that I must either sleep on the opposite side or feel the watch digging into my skin.

If you're less sensitive to this discomfort, the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic may be your most comprehensive smartwatch option for tracking and judging the impact of your sleep, stress, diet, and lifestyle on your health. This can be illuminating, but also anxiety-inducing.

As for fitness, I tested the new Samsung Running Coach, which gives you a 1–10 ranking based on a 12-minute, all-out running test before generating a training plan to help you level up to run further and faster.

It's a promising system that's best suited to beginner and intermediate runners, but I found that it (A) misranked me badly, (B) expects me to run much more slowly than I normally would for "fast" workouts, and (C) has an annoying workout guide that incessantly buzzes your wrist about whether you're "on pace" or not.

I've also found myself underwhelmed by the HR and GPS accuracy on the Watch 8 Classic during workouts. Compared to my Polar H10 chest strap, the Classic fell 5–10 bpm short of my real HR during a tough track workout, with similar dips during my running test, but then overestimated my HR during a long walk.

As for location data, its dual-band GPS is better than a GPS-only watch but still tends to drift well off my path at odd moments, cutting corners or adding extra distance while I'm running down a straight path.

And while the step count is decently accurate on the move, the Classic gives me thousands of false steps at my desk, merely from fidgeting and typing.

As strong as Samsung is on the health front, I'm not convinced that the Galaxy Watch 8 is a serious fitness watch yet. But since the Watch 6 Classic was even worse, it's a step in the right direction.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic: Software

• It launches with Wear OS 6 and One UI 8 Watch, and will receive version and security updates through 2029.
• New highlights include the Now Bar, revamped Tiles, and Gemini.

I have the least to say about the Watch 8 Classic software because it's predictably good: One UI 8 Watch is a well-oiled machine with some excellent new features added and the second-longest software support behind Apple.

I'm a big fan of the revamped One UI 8 Watch Tiles. A single Tile now shows data from multiple apps, merging relevant apps and widgets in one convenient location. It spares you from having to scroll through a bunch of Tiles or scour the app drawer to find what you need, and you can customize your own.

So far, only Samsung apps have varied Tile sizes that take up half or most of the display. Google and third-party apps still require a full Tile to themselves. But I'm hoping Samsung will make this format available to other devs.

The other new tool is the Now Bar, which you trigger with a double-finger tap gesture. It pulls up contextually relevant info like your current playlist or timer onto the main watch face, or else takes you to your most recent notification if nothing is pertinent. It's another way that Samsung saves users from excess scrolling to find what they need.

Gemini is coming to almost all recent Wear OS watches, not just Wear OS 6. But since it's brand new, I tested it on the Watch 8 Classic and came away impressed with how well it integrated with Google and Samsung apps.

It can perform complex tasks, like pull from multiple apps for a single query, or remember what you just asked about when creating a calendar invite, Keep list, or Tasks reminder.

Gemini on Wear OS isn't perfect; it can be too long-winded, doesn't wait long enough when I'm asking it to send a message, and should offer users an easier path to take their queries to their phone if they want. But it's an excellent start, one that Android fans will find compelling.

Competition

Anyone looking for a more traditional-looking Classic alternative should consider the OnePlus Watch 3. It lasts 3–5 days per charge and sports a bold titanium look. But you'll have to accept two (slower) Wear OS updates and a health companion app that's reliable but much simpler than Samsung's.

Only the Pixel Watch 3 or the upcoming Pixel Watch 4 can match a Galaxy Watch for speedy updates, robust health features, and high-quality apps. I don't know if their less rugged, bezelless design will appeal to the Classic crowd, however.

Truly, it's the Classic's siblings that are its biggest competition. The Watch 8 offers nearly all the same perks for $150 less, if you sacrifice better controls and doubled storage; the Watch Ultra loses the bezel, too, but adds a titanium frame and enhanced battery life.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic: Should you buy it?

You should buy the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic if...

• You're a Watch 4 / 6 Classic owner who loves the rotating bezel.
• You want a digital coach to prod you into a healthier lifestyle.
• You like using watch storage for music or podcasts.

You shouldn't buy the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic if...

• You already own the Watch 7 or Ultra and the changes aren't enough.
• You can't adjust to the squircle look.
• It's just too expensive for you.

The Galaxy Watch Ultra makes the Watch 8 Classic look relatively "affordable," but it's still one of the most expensive Android watches ever. Considering Samsung has been selling the Watch 7 for under $200 recently, spending $500 would be a bitter bill even without the controversial changes.

If you're a die-hard Samsung fan looking to get healthier, the Galaxy Watch 8 will fit the bill for less...but anyone hesitating over the Classic will definitely hate the base model. And even if Samsung switches back to the status quo with the Galaxy Watch 9, we probably won't see a new Classic until 2027.

So it's really a simple decision. If you like the bezel and can trade in your old Classic to Samsung to cut the bill in half, I'd suggest buying the Watch 8 Classic; you may find that the new design grows on you. For others, this heavy, expensive smartwatch may be the wrong fit.

Sometimes a deal seems too good to be true, so let's talk about one such early Prime Day deal: The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 is discounted down to $199 ($100 off) on Amazon, tying an all-time low for the site, until June 29. And the Watch 7 has held the undisputed crown of best Android watch on our site (and many others) since last year. Is there any reason not to jump on this deal?

On the surface, not really! Whichever size of Galaxy Watch 7 you buy, you're getting a lighter and thinner design than most Android watches, the fastest performance from its new Exynos chip, and the promise of three more years of major, speedy updates, leaving every Wear OS brand besides Google in the dust.

✅Recommended if: You want a comfortable, speedy smartwatch that will continue to get new features and patches through 2028; you're a fan of Samsung Health and Gemini, and don't mind regular charging.

❌Skip this deal if: You want a smartwatch that lasts a few days per charge, more of a traditional watch look, or are afraid to miss out on Galaxy Watch 8 upgrades.

So, what's the catch?

First, Samsung follows this pattern every year to clear out inventory before its next Galaxy Watch version. Looking at Galaxy Watch 6 deals in 2024, Samsung eventually cut its price in half ($150) by November, before it ran out of stock.

So as great as this Watch 7 deal looks, it could dip further by the official Amazon Prime Day 2025 next month, or even further by the next Prime Day in October, or Cyber Monday. The truth is, we don't know how far Samsung is willing to go with Watch 7 deals, so this could be as good as it gets for a while.

The second reason to wait is the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8, which should arrive at the summer Galaxy Unpacked on July 9. Many details about it are still a mystery, but leaked renders of the Watch 8 and Watch 8 Classic show what they could look like with a squircle face-lift.

Some people will appreciate that the Galaxy Watch 8 finally has a new look, since the Watch 7 isn't that different from the 2021 Watch 4 or the 2019 Watch Active 2. Others will be disappointed that the polarizing Galaxy Watch Ultra design has permeated into the "Classic" lineup, with a rotating bezel on top of a large square case.

While the Watch 8 will undoubtedly have upgrades over the Watch 7, we don't expect core changes to the display size, battery life, or charging speed. It'll take a few months longer to get new One UI 8 Watch perks, but eventually, they'll be on the same software with tools like Gemini and AI health coaching.

The main reason to buy (or skip) the cheap Galaxy Watch 7

Samsung has maintained the mainline Galaxy Watch at $299 for the last two generations, but there's no guarantee it'll stay there due to tariff considerations or natural price increases. Buying the Watch 7 now may save you more than $100 compared to the Watch 8.

(Update: Since I wrote this, WinFuture claimed that, according to European retailer leaks, the Galaxy Watch 8 will cost "€40-50 more" than the Watch 7. There will be regional differences in pricing, but if the Watch 8 does cost about $350 and up, that'll make the $199 Watch 7 even more tempting!)

Some people skipped the Watch 7 and Ultra because they wanted a return to the "Classic" design. However, since the Watch 8 Classic incorporates the Ultra's design — and will likely cost nearly $500 according to the above leak. So is it worth waiting for the new generation? It depends on whether you like the new look.

The Watch 6 Classic, while stylish, never really looked like a normal watch, even with an analog watch face. So it's not bad that Samsung is trying to make its watches more distinct and redefine what "Classic" means; only you can decide if the new aesthetics work for you, or if you want to hold out another year for a Watch 9 redesign.

Ultimately, I'd say that the Galaxy Watch 7 sounds like a great deal right now for anyone who doesn't like where the Watch 8 lineup is trending. But if you have any doubts, hold out another month or two to see if the Watch 8 has any upgrades you can't live without! Then you can decide if these new perks are worth an extra $150 or more.

The One UI Watch 8 beta arrives later this month with exciting health, sleep, fitness, and nutritional tools. Unfortunately, only the Galaxy Watch 5 or later can run it. Will the Galaxy Watch 4 receive the stable version eventually, or is it stuck with Wear OS 5? The answer to that question will be an important one for Wear OS as a whole.

Samsung has promised "four years of major updates" in press releases since the Galaxy Watch 4 launched back in summer 2021 with Wear OS 3. After updates to Wear OS 3.5, 4, and 5 over the last three years, we naturally assumed that Wear OS 6 would be its fourth update (and last hurrah).

But last year, the Galaxy Watch 4 took until December 2024 to get One UI 6 Watch. This December would fall outside the Galaxy Watch 4's four-year window.

Google, meanwhile, promises "at least three years" of updates for its Pixel Watches, "from when the device first became available on the Google Store," which takes the 2022 Pixel Watch to October 2025.

Google is speedier than Samsung at delivering version updates to last-gen models, so Wear OS 6 in October is very possible. But Google didn't promise years of "major" updates like Samsung did. It could run out the clock with Watch 1 security updates.

We can only extrapolate so much from a single Samsung beta software announcement. But later this year, the ambiguity will be cleared up and we'll know exactly how long Wear OS watches stay at the cutting edge of software tricks. And whether they get two, three, or four OS updates, we'll have to decide if that's enough.

Do Wear OS watches need to live up to Apple Watches for longevity?

Later this year, the 2020 Apple Watch Series 6 will get watchOS 26. That should be the final major update, though Apple may offer the occasional major security patch. So how should 2021 Galaxy Watch 4 or 2022 Pixel Watch buyers feel?

Apple's unspoken five-year commitment to watches is rare. Garmin watches are known for their longevity, but new features usually taper off after one or two years — and some fitness watches are stuck with the features advertised at launch.

As with its phones, Apple produces its watch silicon, making it easier to design features to work across generations because it controls the architecture. But since Samsung makes its own Exynos chips for Galaxy Watches, you'd think they'd get the same benefits.

Considering you can buy a Galaxy A16 5G for $100 less than a Galaxy Watch 7 and get six years of OS updates, it's not a matter of watches being too cheap to deserve support.

Even a cheap phone will have 3–4X the RAM and three or four more ARM Cortex cores than your typical smartwatch SoC. Samsung has more headroom and better thermal solutions with the A16 than a Galaxy Watch optimized for max battery life. And any new Wear OS feature added could imbalance the entire system.

Just in the past year, we've seen how Google had to roll back Wear OS 5 and then fix major bugs with Wear OS 5.1. Google wants to refresh its watches with new features at a quarterly cadence, but has trouble executing.

Maybe once Qualcomm delivers its new Snapdragon Wear chip or Pixel Watches switch to RISC-V, they'll have the capacity to last longer. Plus, cutting off the Pixel Watch's 2018 Exynos 9110 chip frees Google to get more ambitious with Wear OS 6, making new buyers happier but leaving original customers in the lurch.

Do you care how long your Wear OS watch lasts?

There's a full spectrum of Wear OS watches in terms of software support. Mobvoi watches are still on Wear OS 4 and lack Google Assistant; OnePlus promises two OS updates and three years of security, but takes a year longer than Google to deliver to last-gen watches; and then there's Google and Samsung leading the charge.

Frankly, any smartwatch from 2022 or earlier will have significant downgrades from current models in terms of display quality, health sensors, and performance speed. So should customers be expected to upgrade so that Samsung and Google can evolve past old tech, or should they expect the right to get new features for four years?

As someone who usually gets the latest watch tech every year, I'm spoiled with instant access to new features, and therefore expect them. So I'm curious how much you (the reader) care about these updates.

Would you be upset if your Galaxy Watch 4 couldn't access Vascular Load, Running Coach, Antioxidant Index, and other tools from One UI 8 Watch? Or if your Pixel Watch 1 didn't get Material 3 Expressive, third-party watch face apps, dynamic theming, and battery optimizations from Wear OS 6?

Or are you okay with the expectation that you'll need to upgrade to a new watch every 2–3 years for major UI upgrades or Gemini?

WatchOS 26 and Wear OS 6 will arrive later this year, and it's fascinating to see how Apple, Google, and Samsung are taking different approaches to keep their watches relevant amidst this year's AI explosion.

Watching WWDC tends to trigger a zero-sum mindset for Android phone fans, pointing out the new iOS 26 features stolen from Android or how Apple Intelligence falls short of Gemini.

On the wearable front, though, feature thievery is rampant and indiscriminate. Galaxy and Pixel Watch owners eagerly await when these brands will "borrow" better fitness watch features or Apple tools like the Smart Stack.

I can point out that the Galaxy Watch 7 already has an equivalent to Apple's "new" wrist-flick gesture for dismissing notifications, or that Google Keep preempted Apple Notes on watches.

However, Apple beat Samsung and Google to the punch with fitness tools like running dynamics, custom workouts, and training load, as well as key safety features.

Checking who was "first" to a smartwatch feature isn't important (at least to me). What's more relevant is who executes a feature well, despite hurdles like battery life, weak CPUs, and tiny screens.

It's clear from Apple's watchOS 26 presentation, plus Google and Samsung's Wear OS 6 plans, that revamped UI, personalization, and AI are the priorities for smartwatches in 2025. However, only the Apple Watch 11, Galaxy Watch 8, and Pixel Watch 4 can demonstrate which brand can actually deliver in reality.

Can Apple Intelligence or Gemini anticipate your needs?

WatchOS 26 will use "prediction algorithms" based on your contextual, sensor, and routine data to create Smart Stack hints, or "actionable suggestions" that pop up as tiny icons on the main watch face.

For example, it'll show a Pilates pop-up if your GPS shows you at the studio where you usually work out. Or the Watch can pick "the best playlist for a user’s workout based on the workout type and their personal tastes."

Other key watchOS 26 tools rely on AI, such as "more precise" on-device Smart Replies and "relevant action" suggestions based on the message, like opening Apple Cash if a friend requests money.

We also know from a One UI APK teardown that Samsung (allegedly) plans to add the Now Bar tool. You'd make a double-tap gesture to pull up contextually relevant apps from the home view, such as music controls.

In both cases, Samsung and Apple claim that they know your routines so well that they know what you'll want, saving you the swipes or voice command to find it. But can Gemini or Apple Intelligence be trusted for this, or will these suggestions be too simplistic? We'll find out soon enough!

Simply from a UI perspective, I like Apple's Smart Stack because it can throw a few suggestions on top, while a Now Bar seemingly only has room for one guess. Google's new smooth-morphing Wear OS 6 UI could create an equivalent to Smart Stack, but so far, Google only uses it for notification Cards.

Workout Buddy: AI coach or another novelty?

Apple's Workout Buddy will use Apple Intelligence to point out relevant info during and after workouts, such as "You’re 18 minutes away from closing your Exercise ring," "You picked up the pace and ran that last one in 8 minutes," or that you "just crossed the 200-mile mark" for the year.

This immediately reminded me of Garmin Connect Plus, which has an AI chatbot that summarizes your recent stats in the app, or Strava's Athlete Intelligence data that judges every workout. Other chatbots exist, too, with varying levels of accuracy and usefulness.

Frankly, Apple's vision of AI coaching sounds somewhat simplistic, focusing on rings and basic trivia that can be seen on your watch. However, it may delve deeper into topics like training load and heart rate zones, and at least Apple's audio version can provide this information during workouts for motivation.

For comparison, Fitbit Premium added AI running coaching and suggested workouts last year, based on your fitness level and Cardio Load. Apple has the obvious lead in at-home video workouts with Fitness Plus, but not AI workouts. It has a new Fitness UI to emphasize Custom Workouts, but not everyone has the time to create those themselves.

Apple says that its Workout Buddy will work for running, walking, cycling, HIIT, and strength training — a broader range than Fitbit's focus on running. But will it offer anything more insightful than analyzing your duration, pace, and heart rate? That'll be the real test of its usefulness.

As for Samsung, it's reportedly working on some kind of basic Running Coach this year, but details are vague. Its bigger focus is a Samsung Health AI Coach that will let you "ask questions, get real-time insights, and receive personalized coaching," as well as offer "personalized nutrition advice" and "tailored meal plans and recipes."

A generalized Health coach for your lifestyle might have broader appeal than Apple and Fitbit, which focus so heavily on AI fitness. Or it'll be too broad or generic, making it easy for people to ignore Samsung's advice. Again, it's hard to say until we see these insights in action.

Material 3 Expressive vs. Liquid Glass

If you want me to pick a winner between Google's Material 3 Expressive and Apple's new Liquid Glass, I have bad news for you: I love them both.

Both designs turn weaknesses into strengths, accepting the limited space of a smartwatch screen and stylizing content so that it naturally fits better into small spaces while looking cool doing so.

WatchOS 26's Photos watch face hides portions of the time stylistically so that it's still visible but fits in with whatever the featured photo is. And when you open other content, the watch uses "real-time rendering" to refract key content out onto empty space. The background colors reinforce whatever your eyes are supposed to focus on.

I also appreciate how Apple plays into its square display space for the redesigned Fitness app by adding functions like custom workouts or race routes into each corner.

It's a perfect UI choice to have the main content sit in the center, surrounded by colorful empty space, with more functions along the edge that are spread apart enough to avoid mis-taps.

It's very similar to how Wear OS 6's new Tiles fit several more buttons than before, making them more useful, with set elements at the top and bottom to make the UI familiar to users.

Plus, the new design nicely hugs the round display edge, with content naturally morphing to fit whatever amount of space it has. Round displays can't match square ones for sheer space, but Wear OS can at least make content more useful when it's squeezed into a smaller portion of space.

I like how Liquid Glass samples on-display content to push unique color schemes, but Wear OS's dynamic color theming based on your watch face is cool as well, giving you more of a choice to express yourself in how things look.

Different strokes

Apple and Google have taken different paths to make software on a smartwatch look stylish, and when Samsung reveals its new UI, it'll also have a very different take.

Considering that Apple and Android watches will soon be flooded with similar AI tools trying to anticipate your needs, I find it comforting that, at the very least, these watches will all take different approaches in other areas like UI.

Samsung has big things in store for Samsung Health this summer, some official and some leaked. But the clock is ticking on Samsung's "free" AI features. And at some point, Galaxy Watch owners may have to ask themselves whether they're willing to pay for the best version of Samsung Health.

It started last year when Samsung revealed Galaxy AI and wearable insights like Energy Score and AI-based Wellness Tips for the Watch 7. It promised at the time that its AI tricks "will be provided for free until the end of 2025 on supported Samsung Galaxy devices."

At the January Unpacked, Samsung revealed a much longer list of AI-based health features coming this summer: Vascular Load tracking to determine daily "strain on your heart," a "personal health coach" for LLM-based "insights" for your health questions, an "antioxidant index" with "tailored meal plans and recipes," and mood check-ins.

These are all confirmed features coming to One UI 8 Watch. And we can expect even more, based on this recent leak about a Samsung "Running Coach" that'll have you run for 12 minutes to judge your fitness baseline and then build a "personalized training plan" for you.

Additionally, the One UI 8 beta introduced food log reminders and a "Together" feature that challenges your friends to match your weekly running distance.

Until we hear otherwise, all of this should be free for Galaxy Watch 8 owners. I've been waiting for Samsung to pair its dual-band GPS accuracy with better running guidance and an equivalent to the training load info that Garmin, Apple, and Fitbit offer. That's why the Running Coach-Vascular Load combo sounds tantalizing.

My worry, though, is that this is all bait on the hook for an eventual Samsung subscription. I could easily see Samsung building up its stockpile of health tools before making a Fitbit Premium or Google One AI equivalent very soon.

Waiting for the other shoe to drop

In an ideal world, we'd trust that Samsung simply wants to improve its app to make it more competitive against Apple Health, as a boon for people who pay for its products. But we live in a world of shareholder demands and tariff volatility.

In its recent earnings call, Samsung's reps promised "unique tailored AI experiences for wearables" and "AI and health capabilities" that will "strengthen product competitiveness and differentiation."

They're pushing Galaxy AI to make Galaxy Watches look futuristic and boost sales, but the earnings call didn't hint at subscriptions. At least, not yet.

We've seen two famously subscription-free watch brands — Garmin and Polar — add their first mainline fitness subs in 2025 with Garmin Connect Plus and Polar Fitness Program. Garmin, in particular, held back on releasing new features so that it could shove them all into its subscription and mitigate profit losses from tariffs.

I'd guess Samsung is taking the reverse approach: It wants to hook us with free Galaxy AI perks, then throw them behind a paywall and deal with the blowback then. After all, it did warn us it would charge for AI eventually.

Perhaps I'm worrying over nothing, and we'll still receive free auto-generated nutrition plans, running plans, and the health coach's services even after 2025. However, Samsung will examine its health and AI competitors, which charge $10–20 per month, and see that its customers have few alternatives left to turn to.

If Samsung starts to paywall even some of these tools in 2026, it'll make the Samsung Health experience very different, closer to the free, watered-down version of Fitbit.

Would you pay for a Samsung Health subscription?

Maybe this speculation is premature. But when I saw that rumor about the Samsung Health Running Coach, exactly what I'd been waiting for, I had to remind myself to look this gift horse in the mouth before letting myself geek out. It's AI-generated, like the other new features.

I could see Samsung offering one overall Galaxy AI plan for all your devices, similar to the Google One AI Pro plan. Or else it could keep the phone AI subscription separate from the Samsung Health Coach subscription.

So let's assume that Samsung Health goes from a free app to a paywalled one sometime next year. Are you excited enough by AI coaching, nutrition, and health data that you'd pay for it after the free trial ended? Would you continue using Samsung Health but ignore the AI tricks entirely? Or would a paywall push you to look elsewhere for a different fitness app?

Last week, SammyGurus and OnLeaks posted Galaxy Watch 8 Classic renders that are anything but "classic." If the leaked design is real, it will be a fusion of the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic and Galaxy Watch Ultra, with a rotating bezel sitting atop the squircle case. And whether you love the change or resent the switch, there's reason to be a bit concerned.

According to the leak, the Watch 8 Classic will feature a 1.5-inch display, a 435mAh battery capacity, and dimensions of 46 x 46.5 x 14.2mm. We don't have any information on weight, but whether it uses steel or titanium, it's not hard to guess that it could be one of the heaviest Android watches we've seen.

Remember, Samsung consistently fudges the thickness of its watches by excluding the sensor bump from the calculation, as if it were somehow removable or optional. The Galaxy Watch 7 is "9.7mm" thick but actually measures about 12.7mm. Likewise, the Galaxy Watch Ultra is closer to 15.5mm than its 12.1mm estimate.

Now hit the video above and pause at the one- or seven-second mark. Is this watch actually 14.2mm thick? If you take the "12mm" Ultra case and add a 2mm-thick rotating bezel, that would make sense. But then the actual thickness would be closer to 17mm, which would dwarf every smartwatch I've ever worn.

All of this is nothing more than speculation until we try on the Watch 8 Classic in person or get official specs to confirm the weight. However, I believe this leak because Android watches have been trending this way.

This 'Classic' isn't made for 'normal' smartwatch fans anymore

My mom comments on my "spaceship watches" whenever I visit her while reviewing a new watch. To her, they look like an object perched on my wrist, rather than an accessory. By this metric, the Watch 8 Classic would be a true Millennium Falcon.

Let's give Samsung the benefit of the doubt, for now, that it's not as thick as this leak suggests. It's still a fair guess that the Watch 8 Classic has a 46mm titanium case with a stainless steel bezel atop it. That's a lot of metal for one wrist.

Having followed weeks of Galaxy Watch 8 leaks, all the signs point to Samsung selling only one Classic model this year — the SM-L500 or SM-L505 with LTE, even though the Watch 4 and 6 Classic came in two sizes.

My Watch Ultra already weighs 93g/3.3oz with the Marine Band; adding the Classic bezel on top makes me worry about how comfortable it'll feel for all-day use without a smaller 42mm option — even for someone like me who's used to wearing heavier watches.

Ever since the Apple Watch Ultra broke the rules, other brands' designers have been unleashed to prioritize performance over traditional style. The criticism over the Galaxy Watch Ultra being an Apple clone was overblown, as it has a distinct style, but it's still darn big by many people's standards. Same goes for the bulky OnePlus Watch 3, which uses Samsung's trick to "measure" 11.8mm thick without the sensor.

They all appeal to diehard Android users, but scare off the more mainstream audience that buys light, thin, and cheap squircle watches.

If you don't believe me, I held a smartwatch beauty pageant last Christmas with my extended family, and while my non-techie family members liked the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro and Galaxy Watch 6 Classic for their distinct style, they hated the Galaxy Watch Ultra and Apple Watch Ultra. Both were just too big for them to ever wear.

Doubling down on heavier watches for diminishing returns

During Samsung's latest earnings call, a corporate VP promised a "new Galaxy Watch with an innovative design," and the Watch 8 Classic would certainly qualify as a unique approach. But will people buy it?

The above leak claims the Watch 8 Classic will have a 435mAh rated capacity, or 450mAh typical capacity. That's a very slight bump over the 425mAh Galaxy Watch 7 and Watch 6 Classic; it's also well short of the 590mAh Galaxy Watch Ultra or Watch 5 Pro.

Heavy watches usually deliver better-than-average battery life or other perks. But if the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic brings back the same 40-hour estimate, the same 1.5-inch display, and (likely) the same Exynos chip and 2GB of RAM as last year's model, then what's the justification to buy a watch that big?

That said, I have skewed tastes, and I do think the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic (as leaked) looks pretty cool! I resented using the digital touch bezel on the Ultra, making the return of the physical bezel with exact controls all the more appealing. But the weight and thickness could be deal-breakers for long-time Classic buyers.

So, as we wait until late July for the next Galaxy Unpacked, I'm hoping we'll eventually get some additional context to make the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic sound a bit less... intimidating.

For more news and information on Samsung’s upcoming smartwatch, check out our Ultimate Guide.

Google's Wear OS 6 announcement at I/O 2025 was buried underneath news about next-gen Gemini smarts and Android XR glasses. But on the second day of I/O, I stumbled upon a Pixel Watch 3 loaded with an early build of Wear OS 6, and I got to see Material 3 Expressive and the new Tiles in action.

Outside of the Android Village for the I/O dev sessions, I'd finished interrogating some poor Android XR devs following my Google glasses hands-on and Moohan hands-on when I spotted two Pixel Watch 3 units with a colorful AOD "fully charged" screen I hadn't seen before.

I didn't fully investigate until I spoke to Dev Relations Engineer John Zoeller at the Q&A booth; he answered my Wear OS 6 questions by bringing me back to the Village. It turns out that those watches were running a proper test version of Wear OS 6, not just the developer emulator version.

The immediate highlight was the smooth-scrolling interface that shrinks and expands content, along with the new "Edge Hugging button" that slides out from the bottom with a shape to match the Pixel Watch 3 display edge.

In person, it worked exactly as the developer blog promised, without any noticeable lag detracting from the experience. Aside from the promised 10% battery boost, Zoeller promised that this version will have better performance than Wear OS 5 in the backend, despite the UI looking more complicated.

Unfortunately, this watch only had one notification, so it was hard to see the "TransformingLazyColumn" tool in action, which scales down Cards at the display's top and bottom. However, based on this early Wear OS 6 version, I have confidence that it will work fluidly.

The most substantial change is with the Tiles. Quite simply, they're busier than OS 5 Tiles, which tend to be more understated and basic. The 45mm Watch 3 fits five buttons with clear information, while the 41mm Watch 3 reflows content for the smaller screen.

Google says Tiles will have "visual consistency" with its "3-slot tile layout," so all of them will have an app name/ icon on top and a bottom-edge button that usually opens more options when the Shortcuts don't work. Plus, they all use the same sans-serif system font.

But it's up to each developer to decide how to use the "main content slot," whether it's icons for your favorite Contacts or your most recent or important Gmail messages.

Frankly, I think I'll be more likely to scroll through my Tiles with Wear OS 6, rather than go straight to the app. The icons are more descriptive, and the tiles always have that edge button to take you to the app if you don't see the shortcut you need.

The other main Wear OS 6 highlight you'll care about is the new dynamic theming with Material 3 Expressive, pulling primary and secondary colors from your watch face and coloring the entire UI to match.

The "Match Watch Face" color theme only works with Wear OS 6 faces; they still need to make some old faces backward-compatible with the system. But when you choose the right face — or one of the default theme options like Moonstone or Ivy — you can see those colors permeate the entire UI, just like you get on Android phones.

Previous versions of Wear OS supported only one primary and one secondary color; the addition of another secondary color — and the way these colors permeate even the Quick Settings — is pretty neat to see.

This wasn't a comprehensive hands-on or anything. I'm sure I would have been tackled if I tried to detach the Wear OS 6-enabled Watch 3 from its stand for a proper test. Apps aren't optimized for Wear OS 6 yet, nor are the Watch Face Push stores available yet.

However, from a day-to-day usability perspective, the Pixel Watch 3 has become more interesting and dynamic than Wear OS 5.

Material 3 Expressive isn't just exciting and flashy. Google's engineers acknowledged the limitations of rounded displays and turned it into a feature with shrinking, smooth-scrolling content, while adding theming to align its watches more closely with the Pixel phone experience.

My only negative with Wear OS 6 is that we'll have to wait until the Pixel Watch 4 in late summer to get it, or even longer for last-gen Pixel Watches. But if you're at I/O 2025, go to the Android Village building and try it out for yourself!

Note: I previously said that the Quick Settings didn't show the dynamic theming as intended; a Wear OS rep contacted me to clarify that the Moonstone theme is difficult to see in direct sunlight, and that it was working properly. I apologize for the mistake!

Google is redesigning how Wear OS will look on Pixel Watches. On the surface, Material 3 Expressive simply makes the UI more flashy and colorful. But I also believe it's a bit of a course correction to make the Pixel Watch 4 more appealing to core Pixel users.

The Android Show I/O edition revealed what to expect from Wear OS 6 later this year. Scrolled content will "trace the curvature" of the rounded Pixel Watch display for smoother transitions, shrinking or expanding to match the available space.

They'll be better "responsive feedback" when tapping options, and your watch face theme will affect the colors throughout the UI.

Looks aside, Google promised "more engaging" Tiles with "quick access to information or actions," along with "space-efficient" notification buttons that convey more information. And, of course, Gemini will replace Assistant as your go-to Pixel Watch helper.

We'll see how much of a true smarts upgrade Gemini can offer on smartwatch hardware. But this update will align Pixel Watches closer with Android 16. And as much as I personally loved the Watch 3 for focusing so heavily on Fitbit, that route wouldn't work with Google's core audience in the long run.

Stock Wear OS needed an overhaul

I asked my Android Central colleagues a few weeks back if they preferred stock Wear OS or One UI Watch on Galaxy Watches. It kicked off a fiery debate, and while several of us fell on the Pixel Watch side, our arguments were more about vibes than anything else. The One UI crowd had specifics.

Our managing editor, Derrek Lee, prefers One UI Watch "because it better mimics the UI on a smartphone," letting you swipe up or down to access apps or quick settings from any screen, or customize those quick settings. Stock Wear OS "feels oddly limited" while One UI Watch "feels more like Android."

Our contributor Brady Snyder called the Pixel Watch UI "unusable, more like a kid's toy or a Fitbit," saying it doesn't fully commit to either the smartwatch or fitness watch camp. He believes One UI "scales down to a smartwatch form factor" much better, and it displays fitness and health metrics in a more "engaging" way than stock Wear OS.

Despite Derrek declaring his side "correct," the debate is still fully subjective. But it's also true that there's a lot of style and feature continuity between One UI 7 and One UI 6 Watch, and the rumor is that the next version will bring familiar tools like the Now Bar to the Galaxy Watch 8.

Stock Wear OS doesn't really feel like an extension of your Pixel phone software in the same way. Aside from cool watch faces, there isn't much room for customization, as the interface is very minimalist, straightforward, and tailored. That will appeal to some people, but maybe not the core Android audience.

A Pixel Watch instead of an Android-only Fitbit

Google has clinical leads focused on heart health accuracy and sleep accuracy to improve its Pixel Watch accuracy, and the last Wear OS update crammed in a bunch of running tools that would appeal to old Fitbit watch fans.

Most wearable brands are trying to offer medical-grade accuracy and fitness subscriptions, so it's no surprise that Google would take this route. But it's also true that its old audience loved Fitbits, in part, because they lasted a week per charge and had a simple interface. And many of these fans had iPhones.

No matter how much smarter Google makes Fitbit, those old fans aren't likely to pivot to a Pixel Watch that's not especially rugged, long-lasting, or affordable.

(Side note: I'm still annoyed that Google killed off Fitbit watches.)

The Pixel Watch 3 catered to me as a runner; it had genuinely useful AI coaching and decent accuracy. But admittedly, I still prefer Garmin watches for all the reasons you'd expect. Only athletes who need a well-rounded experience would choose Google's 2-day smartwatch over any 7- or 14-day fitness watch.

Everyday Android users work out as much as anyone, but they were fine with something straightforward like Google Fit. What made people interested in a Pixel Watch was its smarts.

To Google's credit, it did make an effort with Wear OS 5 to add things like Nest Doorbell footage, Google TV controls, the Recorder app, and offline Google Maps. But it didn't upgrade the notifications, Tiles, or customization tools.

The Pixel Watch 4 could keep improving on the fitness front with cycling software, hiking maps in Google Maps, or rep counting at the gym. But that'll just be an important side dish, while the changes above will be the main course in making this watch more relevant for Android fans.

Google piggybacked on Gemini to sell a record number of Pixel 9s last year, so it's no surprise that it would try to get its new AI on smartwatches as quickly as possible. In theory, Gemini Actions will transform the Wear OS experience by letting the AI do all the work of finding what you need.

And Material 3 Expressive, launched simultaneously on phones and watches, makes Wear OS 6 feel more like an extension of Android 16 instead of its own thing. I think that's a smart move on Google's part.

A week of leaks and APK teardowns has potentially spoiled Samsung's would-be surprises for the Galaxy Watch 8. Where One UI 6 Watch felt relatively minor, One UI 8 Watch already feels like it's packing two years' worth of changes into one, and it has me really excited about what's to come for Samsung's Galaxy smartwatches.

While we can probably look forward to some alleged design changes for the Galaxy Watch 8 series, Samsung may be focusing as much effort on software to help give its watches an edge this year. And after a relatively safe One UI 6 Watch update, this feels like the push it needs to shake things up..

Here's a relatively brief rundown of everything that has been rumored or leaked thus far regarding One UI 8 Watch:

What we know so far about One UI 8 Watch

First, SamMobile reported that we'd skip from One UI 6 Watch, which focused on AI and health tools but made very few system-level changes, to One UI 8 Watch to align it with Galaxy phones' One UI 8.

Then we started seeing the real meat of the update. We knew Gemini was coming to Wear OS, but a leaked One UI 8 Watch build showed the option to add Gemini actions linked to other apps like Gmail, Calendar, and Weather — beyond Assistant's current capabilities.

After that, Android Authority dove into this build's AFK and found evidence of the Now Bar and Now Brief coming to Wear OS. It would default as a blank placeholder icon on your watch face until you use a "double-pinch" gesture to expand it.

According to the code, the Now Bar on Wear OS can specifically show contextual suggestions, directions, media controls, the Now Brief, sports scores, and health updates. Just like the Now Bar on Galaxy phones, you'll be able to personalize it.

The Now Brief mention makes me wonder if we'll get a Wear OS-specific version of the current daily report on Galaxy phones when we wake up, similar to the Morning Report on Garmin watches or Morning Brief on Pixel smartwatches.

Beyond that, the APK teardown showed a new Shortcuts function that lets you see two or four app icons directly on the One UI 8 Watch home screen. This seems a bit clunky compared to just swiping down for the app drawer, but some people will appreciate the immediate access.

On a more fun note, the Shuffle Watch Face tool will swap between your saved favorites, while the "Recommend watch face" option finds one with a "similar style to the watch face you're using" to try out. Samsung's watch faces beat the other Wear OS brands for quality and quantity, so any excuse to try out more faces is a good one.

There's probably even more data hidden in the code to uncover. The APK teardown even showed an adaptive charging tool that freezes your Galaxy Watch battery at a custom percentage (like 95%) and then waits to restart charging until another custom value (like 50%).

Pixel Watches are also supposed to get adaptive charging soon, so both brands' batteries will last longer without overcharging.

Stirring software for a safe release year

Even if we assume the dataminers have found everything hidden, there's still the official Samsung Health AI tools coming to Galaxy Watches this year, from Vascular Load and an AI Health Coach to the new antioxidant index and mood check-ins.

It's a relief to see Samsung going all-out on software because, so far, the Galaxy Watch 8 may not change much internally when compared to the Watch 7.

We don't have fully leaked renders yet, but the Galaxy Watch 8 has already passed through the FCC and Korean battery certification. All the publicly available data shows that the charging speed and Wi-Fi connectivity are unchanged, while the battery capacity has barely increased.

Samsung promised that its next Galaxy Watch will have an "innovative design" during its latest earnings call, so it's possible the Watch 8 will have a brand new look to go with the new software. Leaks are pointing to a squircle design on both the standard and Classic models to match the Galaxy Watch Ultra, which is nice to see after getting the same Galaxy Watch design over the last four generations.

Fortunately, if you're really excited about a Galaxy Watch 8 Classic bringing back the rotating bezel and retro Samsung style, the leaks suggest this is something we can probably look forward to! However, aside from the facelift, Classic watches typically have the same hardware as the base model.

Generally speaking, Samsung's One UI Watch is designed to mirror the phone software in looks and actions, like swiping to access the app drawer and quick settings. Where stock Wear OS is intentionally clean and simplified, Samsung's version sticks to what Android fans know.

I'm not sure how much of One UI 7's personality made its way into last year's Wear OS update. Stylistically, it didn't seem that different. And of course, nothing is official yet, and we'll have to wait and see what we get when Wear OS 6 and One UI 8 are officially announced. Still, it's a relief to see Samsung cramming so many familiar phone tools into its watch to bring them into closer sync.

For more news and information on Samsung’s upcoming smartwatch, check out our Ultimate Guide.

Wear OS (aka Android Wear) and Google Glass both went public in 2014, but they had nothing to do with one another. Now, Google should show off its new AR glasses at I/O 2025 later this month. But this time, Google would be smart to make Android watches part of its XR experience. Yes, really!

Google I/O 2025 starts on May 20, but Google and Samsung have been showing off Android XR demos for months, starting with the Samsung Moohan XR headset and most recently at an XR TED Talk with the "Project HAEAN" AR glasses that record and memorize what you see.

Google has no Wear OS panels planned for I/O, but it will hold two Android XR panels. One's focused on the Android XR SDK and AI tools, while the other centers on building AR apps by adding "3D models, stereoscopic video, and hand-tracking" to existing Android apps.

It's a reasonable bet that we'll see AR glasses tech on the I/O stage, in other words. Since I'll be attending I/O, I hope I'll finally have a chance to demo them and see how well the Gemini commands and gesture controls work.

But having watched Marques Brownlee's Android XR demo and read The Verge's AR glasses demo, I can already tell that no matter how well they work, voice and gesture controls alone aren't going to cut it for Android XR. And Android smartwatches are the obvious backup choice.

Outdoor use cases, indoor controls

I tend to use controllers when I play VR games on my Meta Quest 3, but every time I've used hand tracking on a Quest, Apple Vision Pro, Snap Spectacles, and other XR devices, my response is usually, "Wow, this almost works!"

In a room that's too dark or in direct sunlight, the inside-out camera tracking will struggle to capture your hand gestures properly. In ideal lighting, with your hand always held up in the camera's view, you can pinch to select menu options with reasonable accuracy. But I still expect missed inputs and prefer the simplicity of a controller.

Now picture using these glasses outdoors, where these deliberate, unnatural gestures might make passersby think I'm gesturing at them — or just a weirdo.

Smart glasses are meant to blend in, but this is a double-edged sword; calling attention to the fact that I'm wearing tech will only bring back the "Glasshole" problem and make people uncomfortable. (Maybe they'll be called X-aRseholes?)

Gemini voice commands are a more seamless fit. The demos I've seen show that Gemini can carry out actions reliably after a few seconds to process. In the multimodal Live mode, you simply point at or focus on something to have Gemini answer your question about it — no controller required.

But when it comes to my Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses and asking the Meta AI to take photos, I (again) only really talk to the assistant when no one's around.

Google likes the idea of people talking freely to AR glasses at any time. And sure, maybe they'll become ubiquitous so that public AI chats are socially acceptable. But if I'm on public transit, in an office, or at the grocery store, I might ask the occasional quiet question, but I'd much rather have a less disruptive, non-spoken alternative.

Maybe you're less concerned about societal norms than me. You'll still have to worry about ambient noise disrupting commands or accidentally triggering Gemini. And there's always a few seconds of waiting for Gemini to process your request, and trying again if Gemini gets it wrong, while tapping buttons feels more immediate.

When Meta designed its Orion AR glasses, it also created an sEMG neural band that recognizes finger gestures so you can subtly trigger actions, without vocalizing or keeping your hands in view. Meta knew this problem needed to be solved to make AR glasses more viable, at some point.

But in Google and Samsung's case, they already have ready-made wearables with input screens, gesture recognition, and other tools that'd mesh surprisingly well with smart and AR glasses.

Why Wear OS and Android XR should sync

We mostly use Android watches to check notifications, track workouts, and ask Assistant questions. But they can also trigger actions on other devices: Taking a photo, unlocking your phone via UWB, toggling Google TV controls, checking your Nest Doorbell feed, and so on.

Imagine if Wear OS had an Android XR mode. It could still show phone notifications, but its display (when tilted-to-wake) would mirror whichever app you have open on your glasses. Contextual actions like video playback controls, taking a photo, or pausing a Gemini Live chat would trigger immediately with a tap.

Even better, imagine if you could twist the Pixel Watch 3's crown or Galaxy Watch 8 Classic's rotating bezel like a scroll wheel in menus or browsers, specifically affecting whichever window you're looking at. That sounds much better than pinching and flicking your hand over and over!

Galaxy Watches support a few basic gestures like double taps and knocking, and I wonder if this could reinforce Android XR controls, offering a second source of information that you want to select or move something, even if the camera missed the input.

I'd generally feel more excited about AR glasses if I knew I had a tactile backup option to voice commands, even if Gemini and hand gestures are the primary, expected control schemes. The only question in my mind is whether Google can make Wear OS work as a controller.

This patent site spotted Samsung patents for using a smartwatch or smart ring for XR controls, though the article is painfully vague on details, except to say that the emphasis was more on the Galaxy Ring than the Galaxy Watch.

It's evidence, at least, that Samsung's engineers are looking for alternative XR control schemes. The Project Moohan XR headset may ship with controllers, but the eventual goal is to sell all-day smart glasses and AR glasses; those require a more subtle and consistent control scheme than gestures and commands — at least in my opinion.

I understand why Samsung's first instinct would be to use smart rings as controllers; they're seamless and don't have a separate OS to worry about. But until I hear otherwise, I'll keep arguing that Wear OS would be a better fit and more useful!

Watch faces on Wear OS are one of the best ways to let your personality shine, and I frequently swap between them based on my mood. But one thing I hadn't considered before someone asked me was which Wear OS brand had the best watch faces.

So I fired up my Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra and Google Pixel Watch 3 to look through every watch face, complication, and color variations available, and compare what style and data they bring to the table.

Then I bullied my colleagues Andrew Myrick and Nick Sutrich into looking through every watch face on their TicWatch Atlas and OnePlus Watch 3, respectively, since I wanted every Wear OS brand (besides the Eurasia-only Xiaomi) represented.

Let's dive in and compare first-party Wear OS watch faces for style, variety, customization, and quantity.

Samsung Galaxy Watch faces

The sheer diversity of watch faces in the Galaxy Wearable app is impressive. Virtually every non-gimmicky Samsung-made watch face has dozens of colors, several customizations, and more system complications than any other brand, while the downloadable third-party options have more limited variations but give you a wider range of styles.

I highly recommend using the Wearable phone app to look through and edit your watch faces; the on-watch customization options work well enough, but some "premade" variations only show up in the mobile app.

Specific to the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra, you'll find some Ultra watch faces that take advantage of the extra space to fit up to eight complications. I typically use this for my Samsung Health data, but there's a wide range of Google- and Samsung-made toggles for popular apps.

More generally, Samsung has more animated or "live" watch faces than other Wear OS brands, like Funny faces, My style, Live Wallpaper, or Friends. They're quite cool (if a bit distracting), with unique smarts like pointing out when you have unread notifications or swapping patterns with a tap.

Once the novelty wears off, I avoid animated watch faces, not only because of battery drain, but also because they rarely leave room for any non-clock data fields. The latter also applies to custom faces like Google Photos or Bitmoji.

Out of Samsung's watch face categories, I'm a fan of the Analog and Informative faces: they squeeze in tons of useful information while making that crowdedness look intentional and stylish. For something more colorful and minimalistic, the Numbers faces are great.

I'm less of a fan of the Classic and Simple faces, because they look a bit too minimalist and don't really fit the look of a Galaxy Watch 7 or Ultra; they'd be better suited to the upcoming Galaxy Watch 8 Classic.

Google Pixel Watch faces

Google made the smart choice of making every premade watch face customization visible in the main "Add watch faces" menu. So even though it has half as many official watch faces as Samsung, it looks like hundreds because each face has 5–10 premade variations.

Plus, Google lets you look at and customize faces before committing to one, while Samsung makes you add them to your watch before you can see your options.

Logistics aside, half of Google's watch faces follow the Material You aesthetic with bright colors and large clocks that run up against the edge of the rounded Pixel Watch 3 display. The rest either fall into data-heavy fitness or traditional classic/ analog faces that you see on most smartwatches.

My colleague Nick said that Pixel Watch faces "have the best style because they fit so well with the watch's aesthetic, but a lot of them are pretty useless other than to tell the time."

I'm quoting him because I couldn't put it better myself: faces like Digital Bold, Big Time, Abstract, and Vista look striking enough, but some — especially Large Scale and Prime — are a bit too simplistic with their sans-serif fonts and empty space.

Google made "Active" the default face for a reason, I think. Its rounded fonts and bright colors look Google-ish, but it leaves plenty of room for Fitbit complications or Google app shortcuts that people buy Pixel Watches for. I tend to like the busyness of the Field and Adventure faces more than the minimalist look of faces like Index and Utility.

Whichever watch face you end up with, I think Google does the best job of making its AOD-mode faces look like a stylish inverse of the active face, while other brands' AOD mode simply dims the screen or removes elements.

OnePlus Watch faces

Nick looked over each of the 19 OnePlus watch faces, but admitted that after his OnePlus Watch 3 review, he's continued to stick with the default watch face, whereas he didn't care for the main Watch 2 face.

"I feel like all of the best ones on this watch take full advantage of the 1.5-inch screen size and cram a bunch of info onto it," Nick explained, "whereas my favorite Pixel Watch faces are very minimalist because they look good on the shape."

While OnePlus has a decent amount of variety and plenty of complications, none of its alternative watch faces have tempted Nick to switch. It's been a while since I've taken out my OnePlus Watch 2R, but I also don't recall its official watch faces being particularly striking during that review stretch.

OnePlus does have a unique video watch face feature, but like Samsung's animated faces, I doubt people will stick with this battery-draining gimmick. I think a bigger priority for OnePlus is to add more stylish watch faces in general that match with its Classic titanium chic.

Mobvoi TicWatch faces

Andrew, like Nick, isn't that impressed with the watch faces on his TicWatch Atlas. Of the 15 available — including the TimeShow app — he says that he regularly switches between five of them. That's not a bad rotation, but he "doesn't have much of an opinion on the other 10 besides them just taking up space." Ouch!

His favorite, shown in the photo above, is the same sort of data-heavy, fitness-focused face that you'd expect on any fitness watch, focused on cramming in a lot of information. Compared to that, the faces that "try to look like an 'actual' watch just aren't that appealing" to Andrew.

Part of this comes down to preference, of course, but it's also fair to point out that because Mobvoi has fewer first-party watch faces than most Wear OS brands, you're less likely to find many that fit your tastes.

Thankfully, Mobvoi does at least have plenty of Google and TicWatch complications available, if not quite as many as its Wear OS rivals. You also get an ultra-basic watch face on the battery-saving secondary screen that does, at least, come in dozens of color options.

Which is the best Wear OS brand for watch faces?

Objectively, it's hard to argue against Samsung Galaxy Watches here. Whether you prefer classic, analog, minimalist, data-heavy, or gimmicky motion watch faces, Samsung gives you the most options, with different fits to match the standard, Classic, or Ultra models.

Google prioritizes style over ruggedness, and the lack of a bezel makes its faces stand out more prominently than other brands' faces. But your opinion of them will depend on what you think of Google's modern Material You theming. You get very few "classic" faces, and it's hard to differentiate between faces when every single one has a black background.

Either brand gives you plenty of customization options, but I think Samsung lets you choose one to match your personality while Google railroads you a bit to its style.

Ultimately, I'm happy with what both brands bring to the table, but I still think that Google needs to unblock Facer on Wear OS 6 so that it's easier to find third-party options outside of the messy Play Store. And I'm also curious if Google will consider letting us use Gemini to generate pretty watch face backgrounds.

Google says that its Wear OS 5.1 update makes the Pixel Watch 3 and previous models much better at handling "challenging" step count tracking, like pushing a stroller or shopping cart. I put this new system to the test.

Google's Wear OS 5.1 community post states that the "improved algorithm ensures your steps are counted with exceptional accuracy" in scenarios where you're not freely swinging your wrist with each step, such as walking with hiking poles or holding a phone. That can be a challenge for any smartwatch.

My Pixel Watch 3 didn't receive the update for a month, but after the Pixel Watch team manually added mine to their update list, I took it out for some monotonous step tests. I rolled a cart through each grocery store aisle, hiked a trail with trekking poles, and took my dad's walker around the house — all while counting every actual step to compare.

Then I closed things off by conducting a straightforward walking test using my Garmin Fenix 8, as Garmin is almost always the most accurate brand for step count. Here are the results!

How well the new Pixel Watch 3 step count algorithm works

In past checks, my Fitbit or Pixel Watch models weren't especially accurate for step count, typically falling short of the mark. So, besides "challenging" scenarios, I wanted to see if this new algorithm would catch normal steps, too.

Since many people aim to walk 10,000 steps a day, I used the Pixel Watch 3 and Garmin Fenix 8 to track 10,000 steps, tapping my simple counting app every 10 steps until I reached the 1,000 mark. I held the phone on my Garmin side to make sure the Pixel Watch 3 would swing naturally.

The Pixel Watch 3 ended at 9,896 (104 steps short), while the Garmin Fenix 8 ended at 10,050 (50 steps extra). Garmin performed better, as I expected, though frankly, it usually does a little better than that.

While the Pixel Watch 3 lost the step-count battle, my past Pixel Watch 2 and Fitbit Sense 2 tests have ranged from 200–300 steps off across 5,000 steps. Proportionally, the accuracy gap isn't as wide as it once was, which you can possibly attribute to the algorithm change.

In another test, I walked 8,000 steps while holding a trekking pole on the same side as my Pixel Watch 3. Because you take 4–6 steps for every single motion of the walking stick, it's easy for the step count to fall well short. I was curious if the algorithm could fix that.

I ended up measuring 7,857, or 143 steps short. Funnily enough, instead of the usual auto-detected walk activity, it asked me if I was using an elliptical near the end of the walk, because of the consistent rounded motion of my arm.

While the results were slightly less accurate than unimpeded walking, I did notice that I was 90 steps short after 2,000 steps, but then only lost 50 steps for the remaining 6,000. I wonder if the Watch got better at figuring out my walking pattern over time. Meanwhile, my Garmin watch inflated my step count to about 8,300, which I attribute to holding my phone in that hand. Still, not the best result!

As for walking with a shopping cart, I had a little bit of trouble keeping exact count of my steps while looking at deal prices and stepping around other customers. But what I can tell you is that the Pixel Watch 3 was either dead-on at counting my steps... or couldn't detect them.

Mime walking with a shopping cart, and you'll see the problem. If you move forward normally, your wrists won't bend, and your arms stay fixed; there's nothing for the algorithm to work with. So I'd walk 100 steps, look down, and see that both Fitbit and Garmin had only caught a couple of dozen steps, or none at all.

However, when I increased my pace, walking up and down the aisles without slowing, both watches could detect my rolling gait more easily. After 200 steps, the Watch 3 ended up with almost exactly that number added.

Ultimately, the Pixel Watch 3 and Fenix 8 measured 742 and 745 steps, respectively. My actual count was at least a couple hundred steps higher, but I just appreciated that they caught anything at all. With other brands, you may only get a few hundred steps total after spending an hour in the store.

A step in the right direction

The new Wear OS 5.1 algorithm also includes better wheelchair tracking and stroller tracking, though I couldn't test either.

My guess is that stroller and shopping cart tracking will be pretty similar: If you drift along slowly, the Watch 3 won't catch your movement, but walk fast and there'll be enough subtle vertical motion for the algorithm to catch.

As for wheelchair pushes, that's a significant and consistent motion — like walking with a trekking pole — so I'd assume the Watch 3 will catch most of them, even if it falls slightly short.

I felt awkward testing my dad's walker for more than a couple of minutes — it felt too much like I was feigning a disability — but in that time, the Watch 3 had no trouble recognizing my steps. It might not do as well if you have a shuffling gait, however.

Overall, even if I wouldn't say the Pixel Watch 3 quite lives up to the "exceptional accuracy" claim in Google's blog post, it does decently in scenarios where other smartwatches would struggle to register steps, including Garmin. And I certainly appreciate the effort!

Google wants the leeway to roll out its Pixel Watch 3 updates over a "few weeks in phases depending on carrier and device type." But when Google can't even complete its rollout before moving on to the next one, it's a sign that things need to change.

I have two Pixel Watch 3 units, a 45mm LTE and 41mm standard. Both are on the November 2024 update, which itself was just a delayed September 2024 re-rollout. That's nearly six months of unchanged software since I first reviewed it.

As someone with a Wear OS column, I had high hopes for Wear OS 5.1 coverage, like testing the new step-count algorithm, judging the UI changes, and deciding if the force-AOD dev tool should be a regular feature.

But the original March 4 update came and went, then the March 19 update window for LTE watches. But in my case, neither Pixel Watch 3 received it, no matter how often I tapped the update screen to trigger it. I tried factory resets in case old pre-release software from my review was holding back the update. Google told me it was "looking into" my case. But nothing helped.

Imagine my frustration as I see Google's April 2025 Wear OS update community post, which notes that "For those that did not receive the original March update, we will be rolling out an update in the coming weeks, more details to come."

In other words, while people had been expecting the update to arrive any day now, Google either paused the update rollout because of bugs or had a bug preventing the rollout to some watches. Now we have more weeks to wait.

The tap-to-update system needs to go

I wanted to write this post weeks ago — explaining why I couldn't cover Wear OS 5.1 yet — but Android Authority's Rita El Khoury made a similar case first and my editor made me pivot.

Her point is pretty straightforward: right now, to check for an update, you go to Settings on your watch, tap System > System update, and then tap the screen frantically for about 30 seconds while the watch invisibly checks for an update.

It's a silly, unofficial method because your watch shouldn't say it's "up to date" if it hasn't checked yet. And if it's not available yet, you miss out on the initial enthusiasm and only get to test new features once everyone else has already moved on.

An obviously better system would be to let us tap a "Check for update" button in the Pixel Watch app, like you do with any phone update. But that only starts to fix the problem.

Better clarity on timing (or a progress bar), please

Old Pixel Watch community posts always said the update would roll out "over the next week in phases." Anyone can wait a few days. Now these updates are requiring "weeks," and Google certainly didn't clarify in its March 2025 announcement that LTE owners would have to wait two weeks or more.

I understand why Google would focus on the larger non-LTE audience first, but the people who spent $450–500 on a premium model, only to consistently wait longer than everyone else, have reason to feel a little aggrieved. And all Pixel Watch owners deserve a bit more clarity on timing, if this is the new normal.

If Google doesn't want to commit to a written-down schedule matching specific devices to dates, then at the very least, it should have some kind of update widget showing the percentage of devices that (should) have received it. That way, people know whether they should continue to be patient or if something has gone wrong.

How about a Wear OS beta program, Google?

A month ago, I wrote that Google's new quarterly Wear OS update plan made sense. Let me be clear now: that opinion was predicated on the idea that I'd actually receive the updates.

I still think the system can work, but we're seeing a rise in large, buggy updates. The September 2024 update to Wear OS 5 required a weeks-long rollback due to bugs. Now this March 2025 update has introduced delayed notifications and crashes from adding watch faces — and there's the fact that not everyone received it.

I don't have the coding background to judge anyone for buggy updates. All I can do are point out common-sense solutions.

Samsung started its One UI 6 Watch beta test in June 2024, then pushed out a stable version in late October. It had 4.5 months of Galaxy Watch superfans giving them beta feedback and pointing out bugs. When the Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch Ultra launched with One UI 6 Watch and the older watches updates, I didn't hear of any major software issues.

With a quarterly schedule, Google has consistent, months-long windows where willing Pixel Watch owners could test out new features and catch problems ahead of schedule — preventing time-wasting rollbacks. And for power users, it gives them a chance to try some features out early and feel like they're contributing to the community.

I have to put this complaint into perspective: most Android watches only get one major update per year, and typically fall a year behind Pixel Watches. So waiting weeks for a feature or fixes isn't that big of a deal.

But if Google is going to stick with monthly or quarterly updates, then I don't think the status quo will work. It has too many models now, slowing down updates. And catching every bug without beta testing is starting to seem futile.

As is, the Pixel Watch 3's confusing, delay-heavy update schedule is only likely to annoy the people (like me) who would normally get really excited about tiny feature drops.

I don't regret being late to the Wear OS party, missing years of buggy updates and terrible battery life. But my colleagues keep bringing up the gorgeous Moto 360 like it's the smartwatch holy grail. Now, I'm waiting impatiently for Motorola to follow in OnePlus and Xiaomi's footsteps and jump back on the Wear OS train.

I haven't spent that much time with Motorola phones, aside from the Razr Plus (2023) that I used to tempt my now-fiancee away from her iPhone. I enjoyed the foldable gimmick, but it's hard to stay too invested without a compelling Motorola smartwatch to pair with one.

Since I joined Android Central, Motorola has stuck with cheap squircles like the Moto Watch 40 and budget-minded circular models like the Watch 120, with the generic health tracking, week+ battery life, and basic smarts you'd expect in the $70–140 price range.

I don't blame Motorola for leaving the old version of Android Wear behind. But 2025 should be a transformative year for Wear OS, and even if a new Moto 360 will provide a very stock Wear OS experience, I think it's important for the brand to offer a more complete device package if it wants to stay competitive.

What Motorola did right (and wrong) with the Moto 360

My Moto 360 perspective is entirely second-hand, as no one on staff has one anymore. But our original Moto 360 review gushed about its traditional round look at a time when the LG G Watch and Samsung Gear Live were square; this watch and the original Huawei Watch helped define "round" as the default Android watch look.

It was far from perfect. It had a chin bezel for the ambient light sensor, a lower PPI than other watches at that time, battery life that required nightly charges — a full day wasn't a guarantee — and the limitations of early Wear software across brands.

The 2nd-gen Moto 360 (2015) added a crown, slimmed down the bezel (though it kept the sensor chin), improved the battery life, and stuck to the style and sensors that stood out among Wear watches.

Then Motorola bowed out of the smartwatch game, licensing out the Moto 360 (3rd Gen) to be made by a company called eBuyNow. It had a thick steel design (see below) that didn't quite stand out among Wear OS watches the way its predecessors did. It relied heavily on Google Fit software and reportedly had poor battery life and connectivity issues.

I believe the biggest issues were outside of Motorola's control. It depended on Qualcomm's Snapdragon Wear hardware and Google's Android Wear software, both of which had significant and documented issues in that early era.

While I don't have any insider account on Motorola's Wear perspective, we know 2020 was around the time OnePlus's CEO said they tried to "work with Google to try to improve" Wear OS for "better device interoperability" between phones and watches, but it gave up and used a proprietary OS for the first OnePlus Watch.

You also have Xiaomi trying out Android Wear on the Mi Watch in 2019, then leaving it behind until its Watch 2 Pro in 2023.

The common thread is that Google's 2021 Wear OS partnership with Samsung — and much-improved Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 hardware — righted a sinking ship and brought OEMs back into the fold. But Motorola remains a missing link.

Motorola is too big to depend on cheap RTOS watches

Out of the Android OEMs that made Wear watches but haven't used Wear OS 3+ — ASUS, Huawei, LG (RIP), Motorola, OPPO, and ZTE — Motorola feels like the most natural fit with unfinished Wear OS business.

Parent company Lenovo owned a substantial 5% of the global 2024 smartphone market (per Canalys), while Motorola, Honor, and Huawei were the "fastest-growing OEMs among all the top 10 brands" in 2024 (per Counterpoint).

Assuming Motorola phones aren't banned next month, they'll keep their substantial footprint. Foldables like the Razr Plus 2024 are catnip to Android power users, but I suspect they get most of their business from well-made budget phones like the Moto G Power 2025.

Either way, these users are stuck choosing between Wear OS watches with exclusive features that won't work on Motorola phones, fitness watches without proper messaging, or cheap Moto Watch models that still rely on Google Fit and the most basic health tracking. Only one, the Moto Watch 120, has Bluetooth calling with no LTE and only supports a passthrough version of Google Assistant from your phone.

Why now's the time for Motorola to dive back into Wear OS

Moto 360 watches were held back by the crappy hardware of their time. Now, picture one with the new Snapdragon chip likely coming this year, enhanced with newer cores and AI capabilities, with battery life that consistently lasts a couple of days per charge.

Then pair it with Wear OS 5 — since Google and Samsung will probably keep Wear OS 6 to themselves until 2026 — and give Motorola users access to proper wearable apps, with the rumored Gemini-on-Wear-OS update arriving soon after.

And now that Masimo is handling biosensing tech for Wear OS, Motorola could dive right into the ecosystem with a higher standard of health tracking rather than having to play catch-up.

Most OEMs wouldn't be interested, but Motorola still relies on Google Fit for its RTOS watches, even though the API shuts down this year. I think if Motorola had the option to let Google handle the fitness software and could focus on wearable tricks, it would.

As it is, Motorola is spending a lot of R&D toying with wearable phones like the ones above that are fun to try out but very impractical and not anything you'd call stylish. It's the exact opposite of the principle that defined the original Moto 360: stepping away from the squarish watches of the time and blending in with traditional accessories.

Instead of trying to reinvent the wheel, I'd be perfectly happy to see a budget Moto Wear OS watch. It could follow the template of the OnePlus Watch 2R and Galaxy Watch FE, cheap Android watches that would appeal to the same group that buys $200–400 phones. In particular, the 2R has that multi-day battery life that practical Moto fans love.

Motorola, give us a stock Moto Wear OS watch with Google software that unleashes more smarts, health insights, and fitness tools to Motorola users — and evokes a classic round watch look. Until we get more hybrid smartwatches, we need this brand to come back and fill Fossil's niche, bringing a little more style and class to Wear OS.

Smartwatches have tracked sleep for years, but as we see more sleep coaching, energy scores, sleep apnea detection, and general AI analysis, it's fair to question how accurate a Pixel Watch's data is compared to, say, a polysomnogram or actigraphy watch.

So I sat down with Dr. Logan Schneider — an associate professor at Stanford University and Google's clinical lead for sleep health — and had a frank discussion about the usefulness, limits, and future of smartwatch sleep tracking.

Google frequently enlists practicing doctors to work with its engineers on health and wellness features. Earlier this month, I previously interviewed Google's clinical lead of heart health, Dr. Shreibati, about Loss of Pulse and how smartwatches will eventually deliver "personalized" diagnoses for heart conditions.

In this case, Dr. Schneider, who worked on projects like the animal-themed sleep profiles on Fitbits and Soli-powered sleep tracking on the Nest Hub, had plenty of insights about how clinically useful these kinds of consumer-tech devices can be compared to medical-grade tech.

The science behind smartwatch sleep tracking

When it comes to studying sleep patterns on an individual or population level, polysomnograms are "impractically expensive, time-consuming, and resource intensive," says Dr. Schneider.

A smartwatch is physically incapable of tracking brain waves (EEGs), eye movement, and some full-body motions that a clinical sleep study can detect. However, it does capture enough useful data to extrapolate the essentials without getting health insurance involved.

That's why Schneider saw the advent of smartwatches as an opportunity to "understand sleep in a novel way, looking at population health, looking at real world changes in sleep over time," and began reaching out to tech companies like Google. Smartwatches fill a niche that polysomnograms can't.

I asked Dr. Schneider to give a clinical run-down of how sleep tracking works. He explained how your "body's physiology and its state of motion versus immobility recapitulates what's going on in the brain" and how they can determine your "rest and digest" or "fight or flight" states as a reflection of your brain states.

Heart rate is an obvious tool for sleep stage approximation, but he put even more emphasis on movement tracking as a vital tool. The inactivity of deep sleep, twitchy paralysis of REM, and more frequent movement in light sleep can all be estimated by your watch's accelerometer.

False-positive movements — like when your partner shifts the bed while you're in deep sleep — can be one of the big factors when your watch gets sleep estimates wrong. That's why Schneider remains proud of their work taking the Nest Hub's Soli radar and turning it into a "full body actigraph and cardiopulmonary physiology sensor that could stage sleep quite accurately" because it gets a wider view of your body.

Ultimately, Schneider believes, smartwatches "can only get so good until you're literally starting to look at the brain waves."

The challenges of making wrist-based sleep data more accurate

I asked Dr. Schneider what, if anything, could make smartwatch sleep data better without EEG tech. He argued there probably isn't some "gold signal" that makes things perfect, but that isn't strictly necessary.

The main key for accuracy, he explained, is having "redundant signals." Neurologists looking for a brain issue don't go straight for the MRI or scalpel; they might test your muscular reflexes to catch a "dysfunction" first. Since there are "several different types of redundant signals of the autonomic nervous system," smartwatch brands can look at those secondary sources and get more reliable results.

We already see that with factors like heart rate variability (HRV), breathing rate, and skin temperature, as secondary information for whether your body is "normal" or if something is trending wrong.

One potentially new smartwatch metric Schneider brought up was "galvanic skin response." Essentially, if you look at your skin's sweat creation and salt content, you can determine your body's sympathetic nervous system (SNS) response and see, for instance, when your sleep state is unstable.

The Pixel Watch 3 and Fitbit Sense 2 have a cEDA sensor that looks at sweat levels on your skin, primarily for stress detection. That seems like a perfect fit for using sweat levels to improve sleep accuracy, but I didn't think to ask about this during the interview. Maybe we'll see this in the future!

But ultimately, it comes back to Google's PPG. He credited Google's engineers for "optimizing the signal acquisition and quality," as well as the multi-path optical sensor that ensures reliable, continuous data that approaches what you'd get from a "gold standard polysomnogram."

For what it's worth, testers like the Qualified Scientist say the Pixel Watch 3 is highly reliable for sleep accuracy. But Dr. Schneider still says that "there's some general event horizon where you're never going to get on the wrist a measure of what's going on in the brain."

Smartwatch sleep tracking has untapped clinical potential

I asked Dr. Schneider about the recent trend of smartwatches and smart rings starting to detect sleep apnea and if there are other potential sleep conditions (aka parasomnias) that he believes smartwatches could detect.

He very enthusiastically responded that "it could be a great opportunity for tech like this to actually pick up on" conditions like Restless Leg Syndrome and sleepwalking that can be difficult to catch in limited clinical contexts but that a smartwatch will detect with enough patience.

Smartwatches will need to be able to differentiate between REM behavior disorders (e.g., sleep paralysis), non-REM parasomnias ranging from sleepwalking to sleep talking and even sleep eating disorders, and seizure disorders.

Dr. Schneider seems very optimistic that watches could "pick up on interesting signals" in the future, "depending upon what set of sensors you have."

This would have a direct clinical application, too. After someone is treated for a sleep disorder, it's hard to determine if you're "truly" cured or just have "fewer episodes that you're aware of." A smartwatch could passively solve that mystery and give patients (and doctors) peace of mind.

Why sleep tracking matters to you and me

I have a complicated relationship with sleep tracking. I wrote last year about how I hated wearing a smartwatch to bed, and I've found that seeing bad sleep data can often compound my stress. So I asked Dr. Schneider why people can't trust their own bodies to feel how tired they are.

He responded with an anecdote about a man who said he was sleeping great while not believing his wife, who said he was "dying" at night and falling asleep at the wheel.

"People are terrible estimators. And why is that? Our brain habituates to our current state of being," he explained. You can function with a "severe amount of sleep impairment that you're not even fully cognizant of," and sometimes you need help recognizing that.

He believes it's worth the discomfort of a smartwatch to have this self-knowledge. And since he has to "convince people to wear a Darth Vader mask every single night" for sleep apnea, he thinks it's worth getting accustomed to some form factor of wearable tech to help you "figure out how you're feeling."

But if, like me, a smartwatch isn't the right fit for you, then Dr. Schneider thinks you really should consider that Nest Hub radar. To which I'd say, if Google hurries up and makes a 3rd-gen Nest Hub with Gemini, I'll consider it!

Google's Wear OS 5.1 community post only scratches the surface of the new features it brings to Pixel Watches. But since I'm still waiting one week later for my Pixel Watch 3 LTE to receive the update, I'm pivoting from my planned hands-on to focus on one small but important note that you probably missed: Google is switching to quarterly Wear OS updates, and it's probably for the best.

We knew that Wear OS 5.1 would add backend improvements like a credentials manager API and a watch-speaker option for apps so they can read out fitness instructions or sound an alarm without earbuds. And Loss of Pulse is coming soon, but that's somewhat unrelated to 5.1.

The community post changelog is fairly short, with an improved step count algorithm in specific cases like pushing a shopping cart, stroller, or wheelchair; easier menstrual health logging in Fitbit; and auto-bedtime mode on Pixel Watch 2 (though not the original Watch yet). You also get a few key high and moderate security patches.

Beyond these, 9to5Google has logged other changes spotted by Pixel Watch 3 owners, like a developer option to "Force Global AOD" on apps, a new accent color for the UI, and a new Modes menu consolidating DND, Bedtime, and Theater in one place.

In other words, it's a subtly significant set of updates, which may explain why we've been stuck on the November update for so long. And Google wants us to get used to waiting: the community post states that "our next planned update will target June 2025, and quarterly thereafter" (emphasis mine).

Pixel Watch updates have gotten bigger over time

Google had to roll back Wear OS 5 on older Pixel Watches in September — taking about six weeks to fix it — and hasn't released a new patch since November 2024. Even then, the company was starting to shift its update strategy with the Pixel Watch, announcing that the next update wouldn't arrive until four months later, in March 2025.

It's a noticeable change from the last couple of years, and this new quarterly pivot seems to suggest that Google has decided monthly updates aren't necessary anymore.

Since the first Pixel Watch launched in October 2022, Google has updated Pixel Watches to match the monthly Pixel updates. So, I checked all 24 Pixel Watch update community posts from November 2022 onward to see how many made significant feature changes.

Google made small Fitbit app changes in November 2022 and bug fixes in December. In 2023, nine out of the 12 monthly updates only had security fixes and/or bug fixes (mostly security). Outside of Wear OS 4 in October 2023, only one update (March 2023) added significant new features. Essentially, not much changed between versions.

In 2024, five out of the ten updates focused solely on security. Google was a little more ambitious with new Google Maps and Fitbit features in March 2024, improved haptics and auto-brightness in April 2024, and better crash/ fall detection and on-wrist detection in June 2024. However, most of these coincided with broader Pixel feature drops. Both September and November 2024 focused on Wear OS 5, but November was a last-gen do-over with no new Watch 3 features.

With this new quarterly schedule, we can expect new feature drops in June, September, and December 2025. I can't say for certain why Google has chosen this option, but I'm fairly confident that this could be a good thing for Pixel Watch owners — if Google handles them well.

I prefer substantial, well-tested changes to perfunctory updates

It's a bit unfortunate that Pixel Watch owners accustomed to monthly security patches will now have to wait three months between hotfixes. However, the Wear OS security bulletins and Pixel Watch security bulletins only ever have a couple of issues to resolve per month, compared to the dozens per month you see on Android phones. Some months, there aren't any significant fixes at all, and very few are ever "critical."

The point is that I don't necessarily see an urgent need for monthly patches simply for the sake of aligning their updates with Pixel phones. Instead of focusing on making stable, consistent changes every month, it seems more productive to me if they make four substantial changes per year.

We now know that Wear OS 6 should arrive in September 2025 after the Pixel Watch 4 launch. Allegedly, Gemini will replace Google Assistant as the default assistant, which is a fairly significant change. So I'd rather Google's team have three months to prepare for this update than waste time on trivial updates in the interim.

I also think Google should consider offering beta Wear OS testing on the Pixel Watch, as Samsung does with One UI Watch, as a way to root out issues ahead of time. Having preset quarterly updates will give its engineers more buffer time to catch them and avoid another frustrating rollback, too.

Basically, I'm looking for the silver lining in what many Pixel Watch owners might consider bad news. Whether the next June 2025 update is called "Wear OS 5.2" or not, it should be more substantial than the typical, perfunctory updates we used to get. And I assume my monthly Pixel phone patches will catch the bulk of any security vulnerabilities.

But if Google can't live up to its quarterly schedule or still releases buggy updates, then that'll certainly be a bad sign. We'll see what the rest of 2025 brings for Pixel Watch owners!

Google's Pixel Watch engineers collaborate with cardiologists and other clinical experts to improve their sensor data, while relying on AI and algorithms to give the next best thing to your doctor's advice. So I had Google's senior clinical lead explain how her medical expertise factors into your wearable tech — and where things are headed next.

I spoke with Dr. Jacqueline Shreibati, a practicing cardiologist and adjunct faculty at Stanford University who previously served as Chief Medical Officer at AliveCor, a startup dedicated to AI insights from mobile EKGs.

Aside from serving her patients, she guides the consumer health team consulting on health projects like Loss of Pulse at Google. She is "embedded" in a "shoulder-to-shoulder process" with Google's engineers when envisioning new health features, while also connected with the external cardiologists and practitioners who test these tools before they ever show up on your Pixel Watch 3.

I asked Dr. Shreibati how they convert ideas like Loss of Pulse into actionable features, how wearables will transition from "wellness" devices to "medical" devices, how Gemini AI factors into the discussion, and what to expect next from Pixel Watches.

The long process to make Loss of Pulse detection possible

Out of the 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest events in the United States, at least half aren't witnessed, meaning the chance of survival is "extremely low," Shreibati explained. The idea was to add a virtual witness to change the equation.

They knew that a Loss of Pulse feature "lined up at a high level" with Pixel Watches' current capabilities — optical heart rate and emergency SOS — but the "real work" began with figuring out how to catch it accurately without false positives. That's where Shreibati's expertise came into play.

Google says it tested Loss of Pulse's algorithm over "hundreds of thousands of hours," using tourniquets for artificial pulselessness or putting watches on patients in a cardiac electrophysiology lab who were scheduled to have "induced" no-pulse procedures. This gave Google's "AI-powered algorithm" the data it needed for accurate Loss of Pulse readings.

Google knows it needs these kinds of external tests but relies on cardiologists like Shreibati to facilitate them, as she can think of methods and scenarios that Google engineers can't. For example, Shreibati talked about using stunt actors to simulate the falls people might experience during cardiac arrest, giving your Pixel Watch another point of data with its accelerometer.

I asked Shreibati why this feature took so long to arrive in the United States, since Europe got Loss of Pulse back in September 2024. She answered diplomatically that "each regulatory body has its own process," and that the FDA's rigorous (or simply slow) testing period is "not within our control."

So when we see Fitbit patents like detecting arterial stiffness or measuring your blood pressure that are years old, it doesn't necessarily mean that Google has abandoned the idea. It could simply be a matter of needing years-long testing to make sure the feature is accurate enough to pass FDA scrutiny.

Replacing 'extrapolation' with 'personalization'

I wrote in a previous column how tech brands are pushing to transition from "wellness" to "medical" devices, going beyond advice on general energy levels and sleep quality to actual diagnoses. So I questioned Dr. Shreibati on Google's perspective on this trend, as well as her own.

The typical clinical approach, she explained, is to use population-level guidelines to calculate your risk scores for conditions like heart disease; it's more about extrapolating than knowing, at least until you go through diagnostic tests.

But the Google engineers she works with think that you should know your "personalized risk using data rather than extrapolation," combining your wearable health data with your medical records for more advanced, preventative insight before you ever step in a doctor's office.

We're starting to see hints of this with features like sleep apnea detection, but when it comes to detecting more serious heart health conditions, "We're not there yet, but that's the goal," Shreibati says.

Part of that comes down to using machine learning algorithms to connect the dots between data and conditions, but it'll require "rigorous validation and verification" before wearables can offer that kind of insight in consumer apps. After all, misdiagnosing someone could lead to serious anxiety and expensive check-ups.

In theory, though, Google's clinical team seems to believe that Gemini insights will make a difference in terms of accurate medical recommendations in the future.

When I asked Shreibati about the potential for diagnoses from wearables to become a source of anxiety and fatalism, she argued that it's a matter of determining your "relationship with the data." Early warnings of potential issues can be "empowering," but they have to think about the frequency of how often a watch warns you about things before it becomes "distracting or overwhelming."

Using your watch to get healthier

As someone immersed in both cardiology and the tech world, Dr. Shreibati would have a unique perspective on the whole premise of wearables: To use health and fitness data to guide a healthier lifestyle. So I asked if she had any advice for Pixel Watch owners.

She responded by pointing out how the Fitbit app has customizable goals for a reason: whether you should focus more on weight, sleep stress, VO2 Max, or heart health will vary by person to person.

Without specific data, she can only focus on "the things we know we all have to do." In her mind as a cardiologist, that's getting sleep, making time to be physically active throughout the day, eating more fresh fruits and vegetables, and monitoring important stats like your blood pressure and weight.

In terms of future potential Pixel Watch features to help you get healthier, she talked about Fitbit "exercise plans," which could potentially build on the daily recommendations you get based on your Fitbit cardio load for more long-term guidance.

She also mentioned using Health Connect to increase the amount of data that Fitbit (or Samsung Health) have access to, with blood pressure as her example. It's much more important to have that data from medical-grade sources for their machine-learning algorithm, rather than wait for smartwatches to start tracking blood pressure, glucose, and other stats accurately.

The one question Dr. Shreibati couldn't answer was how Google claims to make its heart rate algorithm more accurate year over year while using the same sensor hardware — as that's not her area of expertise.

I received the following response from a Google spokesperson: "We are able to drive these improvements with a deeply research-based approach, combined with expertise in machine learning, to push the boundaries even further." This was more marketing than explanation, but does emphasize how much ML work goes into making Pixel Watches more accurate.

Generally speaking, I found the interview quite enlightening. I've seen how these companies hire doctors who then attest to the accuracy of these devices, but only now do I have a clearer sense of how they fit into the wearable pipeline. They envision big-picture ideas and work with engineers to figure out what's "technically feasible," as Shreibati put it, and then communicate with doctors and patients outside of the tech sphere to see how the ideas work in practice.

My next Google interview will be with a sleep expert on their team, so feel free to drop a comment if you have any questions about sleep tracking — or questions I missed about heart health data that you'd like me to forward along!

Over the last few years, smartwatch displays have one-upped each other by becoming larger, brighter, and smoother than before. The OnePlus Watch 3 display is only the latest to do so, but it's actually ahead of other Android watches in one key display category — in a way that most people would never notice.

During my colleague Nick Sutrich's OnePlus Watch 3 hands-on, he appreciated how the 1.5-inch AMOLED leaped from 600 to 2,200 nits of brightness and hit a smoother 1–60Hz LTPO refresh rate. But that's fairly standard for mainstream Apple and Android smartwatches in 2025.

His real praise was that the display is "comfortable for everyone to use" and "better for your eyes," based on something that you won't find in the Watch 3 specs.

Grab your phone and photograph any AMOLED smartwatch in direct sunlight, especially with a higher shutter speed. You may notice multiple thick black bars sliding down the display that aren't visible in real life. This is an effect of Pulse width modulation (PWM) dimming, a technique that switches a display from 100% to 0% brightness in quick flickers to simulate lower brightness as an intentional optical illusion instead of actually lowering the voltage.

It's a popular technique across smartphone, tablet, and smartwatch brands, both for preventing AMOLED burn-in and preserving the best color accuracy. But PWM flickering can also make you sick without realizing it, starting with subtle eye strain and progressing to headaches or even nausea in the worst cases.

That's why some phone brands have started offering DC dimming as an alternative: Lower brightness corresponds with lower voltage without flickering; the colors look less saturated, but late-night phone scrolling won't cause the same problems. These phones only use PWM when the display can hit a high enough frequency to prevent flashing from being visible.

My colleague Nick Sutrich, who gets nauseous from most modern phones, performed the test in the video above and found that the Watch 3 uses DC dimming, preventing any flickering — unlike the OnePlus Watch 2, which had uncomfortable levels of PWM.

Does your smartwatch use PWM and strain your eyes? Unless you have a recent Apple Watch or you're a fan of fitness smartwatches, the answer is probably "yes."

A quick PWM test across brands

For this smartwatch PWM test, I charged my most recent watch models across several brands with AMOLED displays: Apple, COROS, Garmin, Google Pixel, Polar, Samsung Galaxy, and Suunto watches. Nick had already tested the OnePlus Watch 3, and I asked my colleague Andrew Myrick to test his Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 5 Enduro.

Nick told me that the Apple Watch Ultra 2 was the first well-known smartwatch that the PWM-sensitive community noticed had switched to DC Dimming, and you can see the evidence in the photo below. With my phone's camera shutter speed set to 1/8000 shutter speed, I could see a solitary, gray line bifurcating the display, with no flickering evident.

Compare that to the Galaxy Watch Ultra, which also has a 3,000-nit AMOLED display. In this photo, you can see multiple thick black bars that fully block portions of the screen. This is a telltale sign of PWM dimming, because the quick shutter speed is capturing portions of the screen at 0% brightness.

This also applies to the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro. Notice how the Pro's display has noticeably thicker black bars than the Classic's; I turned off adaptive brightness for both displays, and the dimmer Pro screen has to flicker at a faster rate to simulate the lower brightness.

When it comes to Wear OS watches in general, PWM dimming is the standard. I can't say for certain whether the OnePlus Watch 3 is the only one to use DC dimming, as we don't have a Xiaomi Watch 2 on hand and Xiaomi is known for making good flicker-free phones. But the Pixel Watch 3 definitely uses PWM dimming, as does the TicWatch Pro 5.

Interestingly, I've found that the Garmin Fenix 8 and Instinct 3 both seem to use DC dimming, at least on the default brightness setting. I see a bit of flickering on the lowest brightness setting, but the black bars are still significantly thinner than every other brand, which suggests its displays are kinder on your eyes. The same goes for my Polar Vantage M3.

On the other hand, two other long-lived running watches — the COROS PACE Pro and Suunto Race — use PWM dimming. COROS, in particular, seems to use an aggressive form of it, with thicker and faster black bars than I've seen on any smartwatch. The side-by-side shot above should make the difference clear.

We can only speculate on why fitness watches use more eye-friendly dimming than the bigger smartwatch brands; companies typically stay radio silent when asked about this topic.

The two most likely guesses are battery life and simplicity. Lower voltage instead of flickering would help these watches last longer, in theory, even if the colors aren't as rich. But it could also be a simple case of Garmin and Polar seeing DC dimming as less complicated and easier to implement.

I haven't tested every smartwatch out there, and this testing method is a bit unreliable unless you check at multiple brightness levels. But the main point is that high-flicker displays are the norm, and only OnePlus and Apple seem to have made a conscious choice to fix that.

PWM or DC dimming should be up to the user

Plenty of people will go through their lives never being affected by PWM dimming, and since you won't spend as long staring at a smartwatch screen as a phone screen, its flickering may not be as big of an issue. That doesn't change the fact that the switch from LCD or MIP displays to AMOLED on watches could increase eye strain and discomfort.

That's why I think a simple "PWM or DC dimming" toggle on watches would be the best option. Do you prioritize color fidelity and reduced burn-in or battery life and reduced eye strain? Both options are legitimate, so leave it up to the user!

Smartwatch displays have other areas where they can improve. The top models have been stuck at about 320 pixels per inch (ppi) for years, while most phones hit between 400–500ppi. And while they've jumped from 30 to 60Hz in recent years, 90Hz or 120Hz seems like the logical next step once we get faster smartwatch SoCs to power them.

In that context, smartwatch display dimming may not be the priority for these companies when PWM-sensitive people are a relatively niche group — and iPhones, Galaxy phones, and Pixel phones all continue to use PWM exclusively, despite complaints from the PWM-sensitive community. I suspect most Android smartwatches will keep using this tech for years to come.

Still, I'd at least love to see DC dimming as an option in the Wear OS 6 developer settings. And for now, since the OnePlus Watch 3 launch has been delayed to April 2025, anyone on the hunt for a flicker-free watch will either have to switch to an Apple Watch or look seriously at Garmin watches.

Every Wear OS brand besides Samsung and Google has had such a fraught, confusing history with updates that we had no idea what to expect from OnePlus. Would the OnePlus Watch 3 launch with Wear OS 5, or an older version like some TicWatches? And how quickly would the two promised version updates arrive on the OnePlus Watch 2?

Thanks to the OnePlus Watch 3 and clarification from the OnePlus PR team, we have our answers. And I think it's set a precedent for what to expect from any Wear OS watch that doesn't have "Galaxy" or "Pixel" in the name.

My colleague Nick Sutrich got hands-on time with the OnePlus Watch 3 this past week, and he's highly positive about it so far. It's a major hardware upgrade over the OnePlus Watch 2 thanks to the active crown, fixed health tracking, eye-friendly display, smarter coprocessor, and larger battery capacity.

OnePlus promises a five-day battery life, and Nick's Watch 3 has surpassed this estimate so far. Some credit must go to the silicon-carbon battery, but we can also consider its switch to Wear OS 5: Google added some battery-saving background changes last year that'll pay off in subtle ways for OnePlus Watch 3 buyers.

We're still diving into the OnePlus Watch 3's software to try and flesh out what's new and different. But when we asked OnePlus, their answer was very illuminating:

Google app minutiae aside, that last portion is illuminating because OnePlus's rep was essentially saying to go to the "Explore Wear OS 5 features" page on Android Developers. Unlike Samsung's unique version of One UI 6 Watch or Mobvoi's specific update list for Wear OS 4, OnePlus largely put its software update in Google's hands.

This isn't to say that the OnePlus Watch 3 software is a Pixel Watch 3 clone. OnePlus has its UI quirks, video watch faces, and health features specific to the OHealth app, such as the 60-second health checkup tool.

I did note one unique feature: You can prop up your OnePlus 13 and then swipe through TikTok or YouTube Shorts videos using your watch display. I have no idea how many people would want to navigate their feeds with their phones propped up, but at least OnePlus tried something new!

But by and large, OnePlus is offering a "stock" Wear OS experience, and some of its "new" Wear OS 5 features are things that were missing from its version of Wear OS 4, like emergency SOS, camera controls, and the ability to transfer your watch to a new phone.

I'm perfectly fine with OnePlus focusing on hardware and health upgrades with the Watch 3. It seems to have paid off, and compared to other Wear OS watches that work best within their ecosystem, I think you can wear this with just about any Android phone brand without missing any features because of the "stock" Wear OS approach.

Now for the downsides: OnePlus says the Watch 3 will receive two OS updates — like the OnePlus Watch 2 — and two years of bi-monthly security updates through early 2027. OnePlus committed to three years of security updates for the Watch 2, so we're not sure why OnePlus has apparently decided to cut back one year of support.

As for the OnePlus Watch 2, the OnePlus rep said that "Watch 2 users are expected to receive their OS 5 updates in Q3 of this year." That July–September stretch is when we'd expect the Galaxy Watch 8 and Pixel Watch 4 to launch with Wear OS 6, meaning OnePlus will be a year behind them.

Up until this point, Wear OS brands like Xiaomi and Mobvoi have fallen a year behind Google and Samsung, only launching Wear OS 4 around Q3 2024. OnePlus obviously has a leg up by launching Wear OS 5 only half a year behind Samsung, but I'm not sure why the OnePlus Watch 2 — which has the same Snapdragon processor — would need another half a year or so.

At this point, I can only assume the year-long update gap between the Wear OS co-creators and third-party partners will never close. Samsung and Google had some trouble updating their watches to Wear OS 5, but nothing like what their partners have experienced.

General Wear OS trends aside, I'm not sure why the OnePlus Watch 3 will (presumably) stop receiving security updates well before it gets Wear OS 7 in late 2027. That seems a bit odd, and I'd like to think OnePlus will still provide some sporadic security support afterward, not just drop major changes and then ignore the Watch 3 entirely.

As it is, with Samsung and Google promising four and three years of support, respectively, OnePlus's two-year promise feels like the one potential blemish to an otherwise exciting OnePlus Watch 3 launch.

The upcoming OnePlus Watch 3 is tapped to last five days per charge, and while we don't know its price yet, you can bet it'll cost much less than the Apple or Galaxy Watch Ultra while lasting much longer. It's time for OnePlus to light a fire under some big-name toes.

The OnePlus Watch 3 will officially launch on February 18 with some significant changes over the OnePlus Watch 2: a new titanium bezel, a rotating crown that's functional instead of decorative, a faster and more efficient coprocessor, and an "optimized" GPS antenna.

What matters most is that OnePlus squeezed another day of battery life for standard use (120 vs. 100 hours) and heavy use (72 vs. 48 hours) from the same Snapdragon W5 processor within a year. Pretty impressive!

Its 631mAh capacity — a 131mAh generational boost — isn't that different from the Mobvoi TicWatch Enduro and Atlas (628mAh), but those are both rated for 90 hours and use a very limited Essential mode to achieve extended battery life. The Galaxy Watch Ultra and Apple Watch Ultra 2 aren't that far behind at 590mAh and 564mAh, respectively, but they only last 60 or 36 hours with typical use.

What trick did OnePlus use to pull off this gap? Most of the credit goes to the new battery tech that it recycled from the OnePlus 13, but I think we should pay just as much attention to its new "BES2800" coprocessor — because it'll make or break the OnePlus Watch 3 experience. And I wonder if other brands will try to emulate OnePlus's method of success.

OnePlus's secret weapon got even stronger

Any Wear OS watch will use the Wear OS Hybrid Interface; it relegates low-power, background tasks like heart rate and notifications to the mobile coprocessing unit (MCU) to save battery life and leave the main, power-hungry cores dormant until they're needed for apps. But it was OnePlus that really harnessed that power on the OnePlus Watch 2 with its RTOS-running BES2700.

As effective as this system was for longevity, our reviewer found last year that this 12nm chipset seemed too slow to properly handle messages and sensor data with the same speed and reliability we're used to with Wear OS watches.

With the Watch 3, the main SoC is unchanged for Wear OS tasks, but now we have a 6nm BES2800 that OnePlus says will "ensure an optimal balance between long battery life and intelligent functionality."

With great power, paradoxically, comes greater efficiency. We saw with last year's Snapdragon 8 Elite how it didn't need efficiency cores because higher-clocked chips can hit the same benchmarks with significantly less power.

Our OnePlus Watch 3 review will be the real test, but we can assume these background RTOS tasks will now run with better efficiency on a 6nm chip than on a 12nm one. The question is, will other brands follow suit? Most current Wear OS watches have 22nm MCUs, which feels well short of the mark. But hardware aside, I wonder if relying on RTOS for certain tasks is something other watch brands should emulate.

Extra capacity and curious lab results

Smartwatches can only fit so much battery capacity before the design becomes too bulky for anyone to wear. That's why we've heard so much chatter recently about Samsung and Apple using solid-state batteries: They can't increase capacity without turning off fans of skinny, pretty watches, so they're biding their time for a denser battery with a higher Wh/L.

While they twiddle thumbs and wait for this unproven tech, OnePlus has stuck its mobile Silicon NanoStack Battery into its watch. A silicon-carbon or standard lithium-ion battery shares the same cathode, but the former mixes silicon and graphite for the anode, making these batteries more dense and resilient against extreme weather conditions.

A 22% capacity boost is nothing to sneeze at, but even without a spec sheet, we can assume the OnePlus Watch 3 will be heavy. One of our Watch 2 complaints was the absence of a smaller, lighter model, and it doesn't seem like that's changed here.

Wearing a Watch 3 won't be for the small-wristed, and it's fair to ask how far its battery would go with the halved capacity as the Pixel Watch 3 41mm (306mAh) or Galaxy Watch 7 40mm (300mAh).

It's also fair to point out that OnePlus's five-day estimate has some odd caveats. The laboratory conditions had the tester only getting 6.5 hours of sleep per day, streaming music to earbuds for 15 minutes, taking one five-minute call per day, and only using watch apps for about 20 minutes per day. And it assumes the phone-watch Bluetooth connection will be disabled for 10 hours a day, for some reason.

Even the "heavy use" scenario keeps the GPS workouts, music streaming, phone calls, and other applications fairly short and limited. For comparison, the Apple Watch Ultra 2's official 36-hour estimate includes 8 hours of LTE connection, double the GPS and music streaming and more clock checks. It feels less like they were stretching the battery life for marketing purposes.

Still, it doesn't really matter to me if the OnePlus Watch 3 perfectly hits five days or loses a day or two with real-world activity. What matters more is having that leeway built in, counterbalancing the inevitable loss of capacity you see on watches after a couple of years.

Kicking off an evolutionary year for smartwatch battery life

Last year was already a strong year for Wear OS because Wear OS 5 put a big emphasis on battery life efficiency with current hardware. But 2025 could be even more significant because it's the year we may finally get a new Snapdragon Wear chip.

Qualcomm's VP of wearables said the company's objective is to aim for "a week's worth of battery life" using Snapdragon chips. He further suggested that a combination of custom cores and RISC-V software could help Android watches trend in that direction.

But even before this paradigm shift, OnePlus is pushing the current Snapdragon hardware as far as it can go, and I think that other brands will take more notice than you might think.

OnePlus doesn't really compete with most other Android smartwatch brands in North America and Europe; IDC's latest report shows a vast majority of OnePlus & OPPO watches were sold in China. But it still hit nearly 8 million sold in three months, only a few million short of Samsung.

Apple Watches have a big Chinese market presence, but they've fallen short of Huawei and have Xiaomi and Oppo/OnePlus chasing them from behind. Even if Apple has a complacent stranglehold on the U.S. market, it can't stand pat with its 18-hour battery life if its Chinese rivals start making this look totally inadequate.

And if Apple makes a battery life push, Samsung (and its partner Google) will focus on keeping its lead and making Android watches sound superior on paper, even if they fall short in sales.

That's why, even if the OnePlus Watch 3 — and the OPPO Watch X2, its sibling/clone with near-identical specs — feel like niche products here, I predict that they'll kick off a smartwatch arms race (pun intended) and nudge the bigger brands out of their battery life complacency. None of them want to look deficient and behind the times.

Everyone loves a good "Doom on a calculator" headline, so it's no surprise that tech blogs lit up when a Redditor posted footage of playing classic video games on their Galaxy Watch 5 using sideloading. GTA and God of War running on a 1-inch screen is undeniably cool. Only problem is, very few people have the patience and know-how to pull this off.

That's why I wanted to post a simple PSA for regular Android smartwatch owners: There are actual Wear OS games you can play on your Galaxy or Pixel Watch that don't require hacking or destroying your battery life.

In the Wear OS Play Store category, you should find a curated list of free and paid Android watch games that are optimized to use limited storage and RAM.

The list of native Wear OS games available isn't nearly as long as I'd like, and they all have to reckon with limited screen space. But I did find the kind of games you'd want to play on your wrist: simple, classic games that you can enjoy for a few minutes in case you don't have your phone on you.

There are basically two main types of Wear OS games: single-tap games and swipe games. The appropriately named Single Tap Games has a variety of simple time-waster minigames, while there's a spin on the classic Dino Run browser game called Cactus Run: Classic where you have to react quickly to and leap over objects rushing you from the right.

I'm personally a fan of this infinite, timing-based space adventure called Jump Drive: Get Away where you have to tap at the right moment to zoom through obstacle gates while collecting gems to advance. I don't know how it looks on older Android watches, but the Pixel Watch 3 has it running surprisingly smoothly thanks to the 2GB of RAM and 60Hz refresh rate.

As for "swipe" games, my immediate favorite was the simply-named "2048 for smart watch" app. Because the gameplay is so suited to simple, deliberate swipes, it doesn't matter that the screen is so small. And unlike other games that start to get repetitive quickly, this one stays interesting for longer because there's a bit of strategy involved.

Several other popular Wear OS game apps are all about mental training or relaxation, like this Speed Math game where you test your skills by tapping the correct answer, or swipe to rotate shapes and form beautiful objects in this Shapes Logic game.

Plus, of course, now that Google has made a kids' version of Wear OS, you'll find a dozen or so kid-centric games that prioritize creativity and learning.

Many of the Wear OS games I've tried are on the low-quality side, and certainly you'll hardly find anything on the level you'd see from most Play Store games optimized for higher-end Snapdragon hardware.

But considering we've seen sideloaded Android games like Temple Run on Wear OS, and there's a new Snapdragon Wear chip coming, I wonder if we could one day hope for better.

Google curated kids' games for Galaxy Watch for Kids; why can't it leverage its Play Store partnerships for a few non-kiddie games optimized for a tiny screen? Particularly Play Pass games that could fit on a small screen without ruining the experience?

I've already written about how I want to see the return of virtual pets like Tamagotchi on Wear OS; they could be "fed" by your steps or activity minutes to encourage physical fitness, or look perky or exhausted based on your sleep data. There is a cute Wearable Monsters app for raising an on-wrist pet, but it's more of a traditional pet game with no health data involved.

There's also the potential for Gemini on Wear OS to enable AI-generated, text-based experiences on watches. Imagine an interactive fitness game that has you run to a destination while Gemini describes a virtual adventure at every checkpoint, or just a simple choose-your-own-adventure prompt where you pick between several options and have the LLM read out where the story goes next.

But that's all hypothetical. For now, I'd recommend Android Watch fans take a few minutes to download some games! They're not gonna replace your Android game library or Steam Deck, but they're a chill way to kill time.

Ever since Fossil abandoned Wear OS, the Android smartwatch space has had a distinct lack of style. Fossil had software issues it couldn't overcome, but its traditional watch designs were always on point, while Samsung, Google, and Apple barely even try to court the luxury watch crowd today. And I believe the time is right for more hybrid Android smartwatches to fill that gap!

Over the holidays, I held a smartwatch fashion contest, and it was a wake-up call. As someone immersed in tech for years, I'd grown accustomed to how smartwatches look. But when my non-techy relatives ranked watches from prettiest to ugliest, they crowned the Withings ScanWatch 2 hybrid the best — and called the rest of the smartwatches boring at best and unwearable or ugly at worst.

Even though Android watches rarely use squircles, we've reached the point that it doesn't matter that they're circular; they still don't look like "watches." Recent Galaxy Watches and Pixel Watches maximize display space, so they look like gadgets instead of accessories — especially the smaller models.

Even the "Classic"-style models are too large, thick, and glaringly bright to blend in. And so these brands have instead pushed in the opposite direction, giving up on "watch" designs and launching massive, expensive models like the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra and Apple Watch Ultra 2 — knowing that their core audience and credulous tech reviewers will happily accept it.

The problem is that this strategy does nothing for folks who want smarts and fashion. Hybrid watches come the closest, but they're hard to find and rarely strike the perfect balance between the two. I suspect that's why, when you look at Canalys' 2024 worldwide wearable sales, basic watches still outsell smartwatches by a wide margin.

Samsung is no stranger to experimenting with multiple watch models every year, and I know it'll likely return to its Classic design with the Galaxy Watch 8. But I wish instead that it would try something new: reach outside of the tech nerd space and pick up where Fossil left off.

The problem with hybrid smartwatches

When you make a hybrid smartwatch, do you focus more on smarts or the watch? Brands like Fossil, Garmin, and Withings have all made valiant efforts at this question, but I don't think any of them have really nailed the formula.

Fossil spent years as the main Wear OS option while other brands abandoned it, giving users access to different sub-brand styles — Michael Kors, Skagen Falster, Kate Spade, and so on — with Google's signature apps and assistant. Its lineup included several hybrid models, from the Skagen Jorn to the most recent Fossil Gen 6 Hybrid Wellness.

Fossil couldn't keep up with the software after the Samsung/Google Wear OS merger and gave up on Wear OS last year, leaving a huge gap in the market. Still, Fossil watches were never perfect, with performance and battery life issues; and its hybrid models didn't even necessarily use Wear OS, with limited smarts and functionality without a positive trade-off like longer battery life.

Unlike the Withings ScanWatch 2, which has a tiny OLED cutout inside a normal steel interior, Fossil used subtle, eye-friendly e-ink screens that covered the entire hybrid watch face, giving you more room for information. But aside from obstructing watch hands, you had to reckon with E Ink's slow refresh rate when scrolling through long notifications or menus. It was only best suited for static information.

Withings' tiny-display strategy pays off with longer battery life and a design that looks eminently "normal" when you aren't receiving notifications. If you want a watch that tracks your health data but wouldn't look out of place in a business environment, the ScanWatch 2 or its more expensive siblings like the ScanWatch Nova are where I'd start.

Still, the ScanWatch 2's tiny screen barely fits any data, making reading notifications annoying. More importantly, for this discussion, you're mostly wearing this watch for health and sleep data. It's much more limited than what you're used to with a traditional Android smartwatch, with no apps or Assistant.

I also reviewed the Garmin Vivomove Trend, which looks surprisingly stylish from a brand that's well-known for its thick, sporty designs. However, the Trend had issues with a finicky touchscreen and slow performance, which seems to be a trend (no pun intended) with hybrid watches.

What I'd want out of a Wear OS hybrid smartwatch

I suspect a lot of Wear OS watch owners don't actually use apps all that often. They want on-wrist calling, voice commands, actionable notifications, and health insights. They'd also presumably like longer battery life than the 1–2 days they typically get!

What I think could work is an actual hybrid version of Wear OS, the same way Google made a kid-friendly Wear OS for Galaxy Watches. It could have a limited number of core Google apps and major third-party options — such as Gemini, Google Maps, Wallet, Messages, and music apps like YouTube Music and Spotify, for starters — that would each use a stripped-down UI to work on a smaller grayscale or E Ink screen.

We're getting closer and closer to Gemini on Wear OS, and I think that would be essential for an experience like this. You could tell the watch assistant to map you to a nearby coffee shop and have the next step and directional arrow pop up on a low-res screen. The same goes if you tell it to start a playlist and check the song metadata or ask it to pull up your Google Home controls; the idea is to have as little touch navigation as possible because it's harder to look through an app drawer without any color.

Even if we just got a fully health and fitness-focused watch like the ScanWatch 2 that sends your heart, blood oxygen, stress, ECG, and skin temperature data directly to Fitbit or Samsung Health, I bet a lot of people would buy into that option and eschew the extra Google smarts that burn through battery life.

Of course, Google and Samsung already make long-lived watches, but they're sporty, cheap squircles like the Galaxy Fit 3 or the old Fitbit Sense 2. They have their place for budget hunters, but there's no reason why we can't get the Fit 3's tech inside a steel watch with some actual class, even if it costs much more.

And that brings me to my other point about these hybrids: I don't want Samsung and Google designing them! Fossil had the expertise to create beautiful smartwatches and was only held back by the software. Google and Samsung have software expertise in abundance, but they need outside help on the physical side.

Just like Meta put its smart glasses tech inside of Ray-Bans, and soon Oakleys, Google and Samsung could employ the help of well-known luxury watch brands to launch their simplified version of Wear OS Think Rolex, Cartier, Omega, Patek Philippe, and so on! Heck, if Ultrahuman can sell a $1,500 luxury smart ring in department stores, you'd think Samsung and Google could pull it off!

We've already seen luxury Wear OS watches from Tag Heuer, Montblanc, and (obviously) Fossil, but all with AMOLED displays that could only look like pale imitations of watch faces to their discerning customers — plus a lack of experience with software updates.

If it's Samsung (or Google) building the software experience, then we'll at least know these hybrid watches will get years of speedy software support instead of being immediately abandoned. And by going all-in on hybrid designs, Wear OS will be the "mature" brand for serious adults while Apple Watches remain known for their kiddy squircles.

Wear OS 6 is the latest software powering your favorite Android smartwatches. Powering the Galaxy Watch 8 series and the upcoming Pixel Watch 4, Wear OS 6 is the platform's biggest in years.

We tried out Google's stock version of Wear OS 6 at Google I/O, and the new Pixel Watch 4 has its own exclusive spin on the software. Key highlights include a redesigned UI based on Material 3 Expressive with new scrolling animations and transitions, dynamic color theming, and redesigned buttons and tiles.

Samsung, meanwhile, built One UI 8 Watch off Wear OS 6, and its version is quite different. New features like Multi-info tiles and the Now Bar make the Galaxy Watch 8 UI more closely resemble Samsung's phone interface. And One UI 8 Watch has several key exclusives like antioxidant index and vascular load.

This Wear OS 6 guide will break down everything that's changed from Wear OS 5, along with which Android smartwatches are due to receive the update and when.

Material 3 Expressive

Google used Wear OS 6 to launch a new design language called Material 3 Expressive. It emphasizes fluid scrolling animations and transitions, dynamic color theming picked from your watch face, space-efficient content that hugs the display edge, and new Tiles with more condensed information.

Specific to Wear OS, the Wear UI Design guide explains how Google has embraced a round shape framework, controls that "respond more accurately to user gestures," and a third accent color.

UI elements morph to compensate for the Pixel Watch's limited screen space. The GIF below shows how menu content shrinks as it leaves the screen or expands at the center. All menus and Tiles end with an Edge Hugging button that rises from the display's bottom, inviting you to see more content.

Plus, some UI elements morph when tapped; on a keypad, for example, tapping the "5" will enlarge that button while shrinking the 2, 4, 6, and 8 buttons to make space.

Whichever watch face you choose, Wear OS 6 will take its primary colors and inject them throughout the UI, giving it a more personalized feel compared to past versions.

Material 3 Expressive also changes Tiles for the better. Each has a 3-slot layout, with an app icon and name on top and a bottom-edge button sandwiching your main Tile button actions. Text-heavy Tiles like Gmail might only fit two buttons, while the Contacts Tile fits up to five contact shortcuts. Basically, these new Tiles use the space more economically to fit more user options.

Along with these more space-efficient and dense tiles, your Wear OS 6 notification stack has also improved. As you scroll through, the middle notifications show the most information, while those at the top and bottom show brief snippets of info.

Rounding out the list of Wear OS 6 changes, app devs can now program what information appears in AOD mode, such as the song name and media controls remaining visible in a music app.

Overall, UI and UX on Wear OS 6 will feel like a very different experience from Wear OS 5. And in the backend, this version is 10% more battery efficient with a promised boost to performance quality. Based on our early Wear OS 6 test, the new UI didn't cause any lag.

New watch faces

Wear OS 5 prioritized battery-efficient Watch Face Format (WFF) XML faces, blocking all third-party watch face apps like Facer because their faces could drain watch battery life quickly. Now, Wear OS 6 brings back custom watch faces, thanks to the new Watch Face Push API.

As outlined in the Developers blog, Wear OS 6 gives approved 3rd-party watch face apps one "slot" in your smartwatch's favorites menu. Choose a new face in Facer or WatchMaker, and it'll get pushed to that slot. You can only use WFF faces, but these storefronts have already shifted most of their library to this format; Facer, in particular, tells you under each face how much battery life it'll use.

First-party Google and Samsung watch faces still get priority in the watch face menu, but considering they cumulatively only have about 100 faces, it's nice to have hundreds of thousands of custom options available again.

Watch Face Format has received some minor upgrades. Faces can show a Google Photos gallery that shows new photos at set intervals or with a user tap. Devs can create a custom transition between AOD and active mode, too.

For complications, devs can show different complication colors based on the value, such as brighter colors for higher temperatures or step counts. And text can autosize to fit a specific cell, so that 100 or 10000 steps fit inside the same amount of space.

One UI 8 Watch

One UI 8 Watch powers the Galaxy Watch 8 and Watch 8 Classic, and will soon come to older models. Some stock Wear OS 6 developer tools and battery improvements apply, but Samsung mainly applied its own changes instead of Google's.

The new multi-info Tiles, for example, use a scrolling layout instead of Google's static, contained one. You can have a Health tile that includes multiple data points and sensor tools, so you can find them all in one place instead of having to scroll through multiple Tiles.

Plus, you can choose between two different tile sizes for some apps, depending on how much information you want to show.

So far, only Samsung apps work for this format, while Google and third-party apps use the stock Wear OS 6 format. Hopefully, more apps will be able to use this format in the future.

Otherwise, One UI 8 Watch adds a Now Bar function that highlights contextually relevant information on the main watch face via a double-tap gesture. And the app drawer can be set to show your most-used apps at the top to save you time.

UI changes aside, One UI 8 Watch added four new Samsung Health features: Antioxidant Index, Bedtime Guidance, Running Coach, and Vascular Load. Unfortunately, several of these features will be exclusive to the newest Galaxy Watches, so the older models won't receive them with the update.

Antioxidant index tracks whether your body is receiving enough carotenoids, the pigment that gives many yellow, orange, and red produce their tint; it's also an antioxidant, with positive health benefits on your body that prevent some diseases and aging.

Bedtime Guidance tracks your body's circadian rhythm in order to recommend when your body needs to go to bed in order to recover and build up a higher Energy Score.

Samsung's Running Coach has you do a 12-minute running test to judge your fitness level, giving you a level 1–10 grade and then building a weeks-long workout plan to help you improve and run longer races. The plans include a wide range of workout activities, but it can be frustrating that you can't choose your own distance goal or edit suggested workouts if you're faster than Samsung thinks you are.

Finally, Samsung's Vascular Load judges your body's nightly stress levels to warn you if certain lifestyle choices — high sodium, alcohol, exercise, poor sleep, or blood pressure — are having an inverse effect on your body.

Gemini on Wear OS

Google replaced Google Assistant across Wear OS 4 watches, so your current Android watch should already have it.

Gemini on Wear OS uses LLM data and information from connected Google and Samsung apps to give you better contextual answers. For instance, it will be able to sync with Search, Maps, and Calendar to check nearby theater times and set a calendar date for a specific showing.

The Pixel Watch 4 will have an improved version of Gemini, with the Raise to Talk feature so that you can speak to the AI without a button shortcut or wake word, as well as on-device smart replies to questions. We don't know yet if this feature will come to other Wear OS 6 watches.

Wear OS 6 eligible watches

Wear OS 6 will arrive on the Galaxy Watch 8 and Pixel Watch 4 in late summer or early fall this year, before any other smartwatches. After that, there are a dozen other Android smartwatches eligible to receive Wear OS 6.

Samsung has promised that all Galaxy Watches will get four years of major updates. The Galaxy Watch 4, which initially launched with Wear OS 3 and received updates to Wear OS 3.5, 4, and 5 in subsequent years, will conclude its update cycle with Wear OS 6.

All other Galaxy Watches with Wear OS software should receive the latest update as well. We haven't gotten confirmation whether the budget Galaxy Watch FE will get four years, but Wear OS 6 is a given.

• Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 / Watch 4 Classic
• Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 / Watch 5 Pro
• Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 / Watch 6 Classic
• Samsung Galaxy Watch 7
• Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra
• Samsung Galaxy Watch FE

Samsung delivered Wear OS 5 to last-gen watches from November–December 2024, so expect Wear OS 6 around that same window in 2025.

Google has promised three years of updates for its Pixel Watches, but wasn't entirely clear on whether that meant version updates or security updates. The first Pixel Watch launched with Wear OS 3.5, so Wear OS 6 will be its final update if Google does support it.

• Google Pixel Watch*
• Google Pixel Watch 2
• Google Pixel Watch 3

Assuming Google doesn't have any update issues like its Wear OS 5 rollback, the Wear OS 6 update should come to these Pixel watches shortly after the Pixel Watch 4 in late summer or early fall.

OnePlus confirmed that its Wear OS watches will receive two version updates, making Wear OS 6 the final update for the OnePlus Watch 2 and Watch 2R.

• OnePlus Watch 2
• OnePlus Watch 2R
• OnePlus Watch 3

OnePlus also confirmed these watches won't get Wear OS 5 until "Q3 of this year," theoretically by end of September. So we can assume Wear OS 6 will be similarly delayed into September 2026 for the OnePlus Watch 3 and Watch 2. The unannounced OnePlus Watch 4 should get it in spring 2026, in theory.

Mobvoi doesn't guarantee updates, and we're still waiting for recent models like the TicWatch 5 Enduro and TicWatch Atlas to get Wear OS 5. They received Wear OS 4 in September 2024, so hopefully it arrives soon. In theory, Wear OS 6 would arrive in fall 2026, with the caveat that TicWatches don't support Google Assistant or Gemini.

Lastly, Xiaomi watches began receiving Wear OS 5 in August 2025, so we'd expect Wear OS 6 around the same time next year.

Google successfully turned Android smartwatches into a success story by co-developing Wear OS with Samsung hardware and Qualcomm silicon, saving the brand from years of mediocrity. Now it looks like Android XR will rely on the same partners and path to success. But the road will be an uphill battle.

Android XR, Google's new platform for XR headsets and smart glasses, will launch with a Samsung headset and Snapdragon chip in 2025. Just like Google let Samsung sell its Galaxy Watch with Wear OS well before it sold its first Pixel Watch, Google is trusting Samsung to spread Android XR to consumers in a way it can't by itself.

This is a relief for anyone who wants Android XR to succeed. The Google Graveyard is full of promising XR projects: Google Daydream, Google Cardboard, and Google Glass are the major names, with the Focals AR project and apps like VR180 Creator also killed off. Samsung's presence is the X factor that'll keep Android XR alive a little longer.

But even with Samsung at the helm, Android XR headsets need to solve challenges like battery life, comfortable and stylish designs, accessible controls, and other common industry problems. Thankfully, Samsung and Google spent the last decade solving similar issues in Android watches! So there's reason for optimism.

Android XR will face VERY similar challenges to Wear OS

Smartwatches have existed for a decade, but their problems haven't changed. Most can't last longer than a day or two because brands use annual efficiency upgrades to pack in new features and keep new buyers entertained. Small displays make using apps less appealing than on phones, and AI assistant commands are limited unless they pull data from your phone (which takes time).

XR headsets, AR glasses, and smart glasses all have similar "wearable" problems that Android XR will have to solve.

Let's start with battery life. Most headsets and glasses can't solve this portability problem, so they wire up to a PC, console, or puck, which isn't especially comfortable or natural. Meta Quest is the popular exception, but its last few headsets all have the same suboptimal 2-hour battery life because they had to prioritize better graphics on the new generation over longevity.

And that's with a pound of plastic to work with; finding somewhere to squeeze a battery into a stylish glasses frame people would wear outdoors without embarrassment is a challenge.

That's why Ray-Ban Meta glasses last four hours without any display tech, and most AR glasses prototypes either use a wire or last less than an hour. Meta says its thick Orion glasses will have "all-day battery life" in 2027 with a wireless puck to handle the power, but we'll wait to see that in practice, and they're on the borderline of being able to "blend in" as normal glasses.

Google can show stylish Android XR prototypes like the photo above, but can it (or Samsung) actually deliver all-day Gemini in something that skinny? Especially with on-device Gemini commands? That's the initial challenge, and it's one most early smartwatches struggled with, with their bulky and techy or cheap band designs and poor longevity.

Then there's the purpose of these devices. An XR productivity headset like Project Moohan (or Apple Vision Pro) is supposed to replace or supplement your laptop as an extended display, while smart/AR glasses are supposed to give you AI insights and photography with your phone in your pocket. They're designed to convince you that your current work setup or phone use isn't good enough, and that's a tall bar to clear with expensive first-generation tech.

Smartwatches have become extremely popular, but early models like the original Galaxy Gear were deficient, miniature clones of phones with substandard apps and tiny screens. Non-techies didn't understand why they were relevant to their daily lives, and even now, people love watches for their notifications and fitness tools, but many people don't bother using the actual apps when their phone is right there.

Android XR's "purpose" could be Gemini AI. If smart glasses can use sensors to respond to your surroundings and hold a real-time conversation about what you see and hear, that will have an immediate appeal to a wide consumer base, especially younger generations growing up with AI as a main knowledge source.

The question will be if Google and Samsung can deliver Gemini AI in a compact form factor with enough tokens for intelligent responses, without wrecking the battery life. Presumably, your Android phone could handle the CPU brunt, but the glasses would still need to process the multimodal info necessary for your phone to deliver intelligent responses, and that could mean a significant (and annoying) delay.

Google and Samsung are still trying to figure out the efficiency equation for Wear OS watches, but they've definitely improved. They'll need to channel that expertise into early Android XR products if they want to succeed.

Project Moohan will make or break Android XR

Samsung and Oculus collaborated closely in the latter's early days; the Galaxy phone-powered Gear VR with Oculus software was the result. Samsung even founded a VR movie studio around that time. But the partnership fizzled as Oculus (later Meta's Reality Labs) pivoted to its own all-in-one headsets like the Oculus Go and Quest, and Samsung let its VR plans fade.

I suspect Samsung's virtual ambitions were fully reborn once it heard about the Apple Vision Pro, but if not for Zuckerberg's Metaverse ambitions, Samsung might have stayed in the VR space. Or it could have abandoned it like Google did when it realized VR wouldn't be as profitable as originally hoped. It's hard to say.

Project Moohan, the 2025 headset with a Snapdragon XR2 Plus Gen 2 chip and Google's OS, will probably feel like making up for a lost opportunity for Samsung execs. However, its success will depend on a few factors like pricing, comfort, gaming, and audience.

Meta Quest headsets are the best VR headsets because of their wireless accessibility, affordability, and constant updates from the Reality Labs team. Meta has specific initiatives like Oculus Publishing and Publishing Ignite that share Meta's resources with smaller game developers. Most VR fans have built up their libraries on Quest over the last few years.

Samsung and Google told us that they intend to make gaming a major focal point of Android XR, avoiding Apple's productivity-only stance. But it could be an uphill battle to get VR gamers onto a new platform unless they see exclusives and investment; the mostly-abandoned PSVR 2 is evidence of that.

On the productivity side, Samsung will undercut the $3,500 Apple Vision Pro; I can't imagine Project Moohan costing half that. It'll certainly have productivity apps like Google Drive, Gmail, and Adobe CC to attract interest. My question is whether there are that many graphic artists and other creative types willing to wear a VR headset as a laptop replacement for hours a day who haven't already bought a Vision Pro.

If Samsung can discover that XR niche between Meta and Apple, I'd say the market is ready for more competition. However, the example of Meta, which loses billions per year on Reality Labs despite strong sales, makes me wonder whether Samsung will be satisfied with whatever Moohan sells.

The key is patience

Google won't kill Android XR as long as Samsung is invested. In fact, it may be a good thing that Google isn't selling XR hardware anytime soon. Google can't prematurely pull the plug as easily without looking flaky to major partners, and Samsung has global reach to spread XR hardware where Pixel devices don't sell.

If Samsung gives up, I can't envision Google sticking around for long. Tech companies are all about efficiency and maximizing profits for shareholders these days, and Google and Samsung will have to justify any XR losses four times a year until it pays off.

Android XR sure sounds promising when you see concept videos for Google Maps holograms, real-time text translation, 3D films, and so on. But whether we're talking about headsets, glasses, watches, or even smart rings, all wearables need to nail the balance between style, comfort, battery life, and seamless controls. Samsung has the talent and Google's backing to pull that off, but it may take a few generations.

Will Google and Samsung have the patience to iterate and find their audience, as they did with smartwatches? Time will tell!

Gemini is likely coming to Wear OS watches, but the leaked news leaves plenty of unanswered questions. We don't know when it'll arrive, whether tools like Gemini Live and app extensions will work, how Gemini's answers will look on tiny watch screens, and whether all the processing will require your phone on hand.

With the right answers to these uncertainties, Google could give Wear OS users a real excitement boost with Gemini smarts. Major Pixel 9 sales growth proves that Gemini marketing is working on consumers, and getting AI insights with your phone in your pocket will appeal to many.

But Google Gemini isn't just one service: It's a label applied to different functions and levels of intelligence, varied based on whether it's cloud- or device-based. Wear OS's version of the assistant/chatbot would significantly differ from what your Pixel 9 Pro or laptop offers, for example.

Wear OS will likely depend on phone and cloud processing to make Gemini work, at least until the hardware becomes smart enough to handle things itself. And Gemini itself has features that might not work well on a smartwatch. So what will Gemini bring to Android watches that Assistant couldn't? I have some ideas!

What little we know about Gemini on Wear OS

9to5Google discovered the Gemini references in Google app beta code, with the language "Easily talk back and forth to get more done with an assistant on your watch, reimagined with Google AI" describing the wearable app.

The site also found references to Gemini being summonable by the same methods as Assistant: Using the "Hey Google" phrase or holding down the Pixel Watch 3's side button. You can safely assume that Google will keep its always-listening option for Gemini, too, though this will burn through battery life faster.

Google confirmed in November that the Pixel Watch series' next Wear OS update would be in March. Wear OS updates usually arrive monthly with minor changes, so why is the Watch 3 stuck with its September launch software? Perhaps because Google needed six months to get Gemini ready in wearable form, pushing other updates to the back burner.

If not March, we could see Gemini arrive alongside the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 or Pixel Watch 4, both of which should launch with Wear OS 6 in late summer. Google in particular will probably have new SoC hardware by then; Qualcomm's VP of wearables Dino Bekis told me their 2025 Wear chip will have "more on-device AI capability."

Gemini Nano, the portable version of Google's AI, still requires a phone's neural processing unit for edge tasks like summarizing an email or transcribing conversations. So it's likely that some Gemini on-watch tools will be exclusive to newer models that add NPUs, while older Wear OS watches with decade-old Cortex cores will have to rely solely on your phone and cloud computing.

What Gemini could bring to Wear OS watches

The most obvious Gemini Wear OS application is to enable on-wrist conversations, like you get with Gemini Live, or simply more intelligent answers to questions. The leaked language "talk back and forth" sure seems to imply an actual conversation, which gives me hope that you'll be able to have in-depth discussions with remembered context until you have the answer you need.

The biggest hurdle is that most Gemini answers take about 10–15 seconds if they require pulling up information — compared to 4-ish seconds for simpler questions — and phone-to-watch Bluetooth communication may add an additional delay. Google Assistant has gotten faster at on-device answers, but Gemini will feel like a step backward for speed — even if it's a step forward for clarity.

The second hurdle is the size of the screen. Gemini spits out a ton of information to any question or prompt to provide enough context (see the photo above). Ask your Wear OS watch the same question, and you'll have to scroll through a lot more tiny text or stand and wait for Gemini to read everything out loud for a couple of minutes.

The next potential Gemini application on Wear OS is to work with Gemini extensions. Imagine being able to prompt Gemini from your wrist to summarize your unread emails, create a new YouTube Music playlist based on your mood, or tell you about nearby 4-star lunch spots via Maps. Your phone would do all the work, but it would remain in your pocket.

Google began integrating Gemini and Google Home last year, and it's hard to say that Gemini is any better than Assistant was at controlling your smart home tech, barring a few minor perks like summarizing who came to your door via Nest Doorbell. But any future innovations will be Gemini-exclusive, so Wear OS owners with smart homes will benefit in the long run.

Then, of course, you have Gems, or the customizable and specialized versions of Gemini built for specific tasks like playing chess or serving as a "running coach," one Google example that feels especially apt for Wear OS.

I think specialized Gems you can quick-swap between in a Gemini Tile would be perfect for the format, because no one wants to stand around waiting for generalized answers on your wrist. If you know what topic you're usually curious about while on the go, why not have that Gem quick-loaded on your Pixel Watch?

Beyond these obvious Gemini applications on Wear OS, I'd be interested to see if the app's image generation tools could be put to use for watch face creation. Imagine if you could use Imagen 3 to create an XML-compatible face cropped to your screen's proportions in less than a minute.

Gemini could also prove useful for finding new Wear OS apps, which can be a pain to find in the on-watch Play Store. You could ask the assistant to recommend a few options for different categories (e.g., fitness, weather, productivity, etc.) and summarize their differences and strengths.

The most obvious Gemini application is health and fitness

If it's not apparent from the list above, I'm hopeful about Gemini on Wear OS, but also skeptical that Google can deliver a transformative Gemini assistant experience with lightweight hardware and a tiny screen. I'm ready to be proved wrong, but I don't know if smartwatches can support enough tokens to provide the context necessary for intelligent answers. So I'm expecting delayed answers and a significant battery drain while using Gemini for long conversations. We'll find out soon!

I could see Gemini proving more useful in the backend. If Google uses Gemini to analyze your Fitbit results upon request — ideally while preserving your data privacy — that could provide useful insights on your current health, recent fitness or sleep trends, and so on. It could then highlight the key AI insights in your Morning Brief.

On the fitness side, Google already recommends daily runs to Pixel Watch 3 users based on their training load. In theory, a Gemini Coach could take things to the next level and analyze post-run results (like Strava's Athlete Intelligence) or expand beyond running and recommend gym workout routines, for example.

Google could even provide those insights during an activity; you could say, "Hey Google, how am I doing?" and have it tell you that you're on PR pace or that your heart rate is too elevated over your wireless earbuds."

Happy holidays to all my fellow Wear OS watch owners and a preemptive happy new year! Last week, I looked back on Wear OS's strongest year yet and promised that I'd share my predictions for what could happen with Android smartwatches in 2025. So here I am, bearing the promise of presents for loyal Wear OS users — and a couple of lumps of pessimistic coal.

I'm optimistic that 2025 will be a transformative year for Wear OS watches, building off of 2024's strong foundation and the long-awaited payoff of new Snapdragon hardware and Google's Gemini push.

That said, we can also see warning signs in what happened in 2024 that could lead to some angst for Android watch owners this year — depending on which brand you own. So good and bad, let's break down what we expect to see from Wear OS watches in 2025, both for hardware and software!

New Snapdragon hardware (and a swap to RISC-V)

Google, Mobvoi, OnePlus, and Xiaomi used the 2022 Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 SoC in nearly all of their Wear OS watches over the last 2.5 years. Unlike annual smartphone chips, watches don't have an application like gaming that requires much headroom; these watches are speedy enough with 2GB of RAM and old silicon. Still, it's fair to expect an upgrade in 2025, as the latest Wear used a Cortex-A53 core first announced in 2012.

I interviewed Qualcomm VP Dino Bekis about Snapdragon Wear in October, and he all but promised that they'd have a Snapdragon Wear chip announcement in 2025. While he offered no specifics about cores, he described it as a "feature-focused" and "AI-driven" chip that could "scale for multiple years" because it'll have enough compute capability to specialize in whatever tools OEMs want.

Assuming it follows Qualcomm's naming conventions, the Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 would probably power most Wear OS watches through 2027. It may use RISC-V, the open-source, energy-efficient platform with custom cores that Qualcomm and Google first partnered on in 2023.

Bekis said the two companies are still working on porting Wear OS software to RISC-V and that the transition could make Wear OS watches longer-lived, with "a week's worth of battery life" as the goal. I doubt we'll hit that anytime soon, but it's something to hope for.

Anshel Sag, principal analyst for Moor Insights & Strategy, called the potential RISC-V switch "extremely interesting," praising that they'd have cheaper custom chips specialized for the application and that it would "open the door" for new tools. He warned me that he "thinks RISC-V will still take a bit longer than anticipated," but "the payoff could be huge." That could lead Google into looking for alternatives for its Pixel Watch 4, if it's not ready by the 2025 deadline.

Google faces a Snapdragon/Tensor crossroads

You'd reasonably assume the Pixel Watch 4 will use the Snapdragon W5 Gen 2, but one leak suggested Google might play it safe and develop a Tensor chip in-house that's essentially a lower-powered version of the Exynos W1000 in the Galaxy Watch 7, with a 2020 Cortex-A78 core and two Cortex-A55 cores.

Google's current Tensor strategy with phones is to focus more on in-house development (partnered with Samsung LSI) and powerful AI performance at the expense of benchmarked power. Google could take a similar approach with watches, deciding it doesn't need much headroom and putting more emphasis on a powerful NPU for Gemini tasks rather than pay Qualcomm a premium to license its Snapdragon chips.

Google's partnership with Samsung underpins Wear OS's success, and staying in lockstep would make joint software development easier. Or it'll go all-in on RISC-V to try and differentiate its Pixel family from Samsung's. I can only speculate on which path Google will take; I hope it chooses the latter, simply because it would make the Pixel Watch 4 in 2025 more intriguing, while also worrying that Google will take the safer route.

Health and fitness will remain a primary focus

This is such a safe bet that I won't spend too long dwelling on it. However, Wear OS 6 will continue Google and Samsung's quest to try to keep up with fitness rivals like Apple and Garmin.

A healthy portion of Wear OS 5 and One UI 6 Watch updates focused on health features (e.g., sleep apnea / Energy Score / Cardio Load) and workout tools (e.g., AI coaching / running form analysis / pace or HR goals during workouts).

With Wear OS 6 watches, Google will hopefully add dual-band GPS like Samsung, as well as focus on other sports like cycling and weightlifting to complement its newfound running focus. Samsung will probably copy Google and Apple and implement some form of training load feature, showing the short- and long-term impact of workouts.

We could also see new health tools, but I'll remain skeptical of non-invasive blood glucose until it happens, no matter how many times companies say they want to do it. And I don't know what other non-gimmicky data points these companies have left to add; maybe mental health will be the next smartwatch focus.

Gemini will blow up on smartwatches

Google spent 2024 cramming Gemini into every Google service and product that could support it, and ended the year promising that Gemini would be the baseline for its new smart glasses OS, Android XR. Even if I don't have any evidence, I'm fairly confident Google will make Gemini available with Wear OS 6 as a Pixel Watch 4 killer app — possibly a stripped-down version of Gemini Live.

This assumes Google can take Gemini Nano — the "smallest" version for smartphone on-device AI tools — and port it down to work on a smartwatch processor. It might depend on what kind of power the Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 can deliver, and could shut out current Android watches with last-gen hardware not designed for Gemini.

"On the Gemini front, I think Google still needs to figure out a way to get Gemini to run smoothly on such performance-limited hardware," Sag told me. "That could come with RISC-V or some other more capable platform." But he agreed that "right now I don't think Google Assistant performance is where it should be," and said that he could see AI becoming "the connective fabric between all of our wearables."

If I'm wrong that Gemini can be scaled down to wearable form, I still expect Google to add more AI-powered tricks to Wear OS in some form. For example, it could add its Fitbit Insight Explorer to the Pixel Watch 4, so you could ask for context about your recent workouts — similar to Zepp Coach on Amazfit watches.

Samsung, which has always offered Bixby and Assistant, would also get access to Gemini. It recently unveiled Bixby AI with LLM capabilities, but it's exclusive to Chinese phones for now; we don't know if it'd be ready by the Galaxy Watch 8. Still, One UI 6 Watch had plenty of AI tricks like Energy Score and auto-suggested replies, and Samsung will probably focus on other niche features, with a mix of cloud computing and on-device tricks.

Samsung WON'T go the squircle route with Galaxy Watch 8

In March 2024, SamMobile reported inside knowledge that Samsung was "looking to bring back the squarish design for its smartwatches," with "enthusiastic" internal support for the plan. The Galaxy Watch 8 seemed the most likely candidate.

Samsung hasn't sold a squircle watch since the Gear S in 2014; although the Galaxy Watch Ultra looks more square-shaped due to its titanium bezel, the display is still circular. At the time, some Galaxy Watch fans resented the idea of abandoning the traditional watch look for the squircle design so closely associated with Apple Watches.

I didn't mind the idea at the time and found the report plausible. But I recently remembered this August report that Samsung chairman Lee Jae-yong allegedly lambasted the MX Division for "design plagiarism," with the Galaxy Watch Ultra and Galaxy Buds Pro 3 too similar to the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and AirPods Pro in features and looks.

Lee's "angry" response makes me doubt that Samsung's internal enthusiasm for squircles will make it onto a mainline Galaxy Watch. Even if Samsung designed a squircle watch before Samsung, most people would still see it as copying Apple, and that seems to be a sore spot for its chairman.

So don't be surprised if the Galaxy Watch 8 looks a lot like the last four Galaxy Watches: machine-cut, flat, and bezel-less. As for other models, we're due for our biannual Galaxy Watch 8 Classic, and Samsung might keep selling the Ultra as is for another year before progressing to the Ultra 2 (or abandoning it like it did the Watch 5 Pro).

Wear OS will bring back Facer

This may be nothing more than wishful thinking since Facer was one of my favorite Wear OS apps before Google made the XML Watch Face Format the default on Wear OS 5 to extend battery life and left the decade-old app and its developers high and dry. But I want Facer back, and I think it'll happen in 2025.

Google won't go back on its restriction and let battery-guzzling faces back on Wear OS; they make the watches look short-lived for aesthetics. But its current solution — scrolling through a long list of watch faces in the Play Store without any organization — is terrible. Facer says it's "working hard with Google to solve this issue" and provide an alternative, and I believe them.

My guess is that Google will once again allow third-party apps to share watch faces to Wear OS as long as they're XML-coded, which would let Facer back onto new Wear OS watches — even if most of its 500,000 faces aren't compatible anymore. At the very least, fun XML watch faces would be much more findable on Facer, which would, in turn, incentivize developers to start making creative XML faces for us.

My less reliable 2025 Wear OS predictions

None of the above is certain, but I at least have evidence or solid reasons for speculating. Now I'll throw out my 2025 Wear OS predictions that aren't based on anything except vibes:

I won't be surprised if another Android OEM makes a Wear OS watch. Motorola, which once sold the Android Wear-based Moto 360 but now focuses on budget Moto OS trackers, seems like a possible candidate.

I'm also worried about slower Wear OS updates in 2025. Admittedly, this has been a problem since Wear OS 3, but I'm worried that brands like Mobvoi will really struggle with Wear OS 5 and keep selling Wear OS 4 watches in the interim. And with Wear OS 6, the gap between when new and last-gen watches get it could be even wider.

We could very well see the first Wear OS watch with Masimo health sensors, though it's possible that the hardware won't be ready to incorporate into watches until after 2025.

Lastly, I'll go out on a limb and guess that Google will make Fitbit available on all Wear OS watches in 2025. Even if it means losing that exclusivity for Pixel Watches, the data payoff would be worth it for them.

Three years after Samsung and Google announced their Wear OS partnership to save Android smartwatches from mediocrity, I'm happy to state the obvious: the gambit paid off, and Wear OS in 2024 was stronger than ever.

As a relative newcomer to Android watches, I wasn't around for this dismal pre-2021 era of Wear OS watches. When I looked back at editorials from old Android Central editors, I saw years of complaints about sluggish performance, mediocre fitness features, a stagnant app ecosystem for developers, and a general feeling that Google had no idea what it was doing and that Tizen, Fitbit, and Garmin offered better Android watches.

No one thinks that now. It's not that Galaxy and Pixel Watches are perfect, but they've become far more multifaceted, offering more than notifications and Google Assistant. You have more assurance that any watch you buy will get years of support, and you can see how Android OEMs like OnePlus see the potential of Wear OS and think it's here to stay (unlike other Killed-by-Google experiments).

Looking back on the path of Wear OS watches in 2024, I'm optimistic that the best years of Android's wearable ecosystem are ahead.

January 2024: Fossil gives up

I'm starting off with the year's low point, in my mind: Fossil decided to stop making smartwatches in 2024, after its Wear OS 3 and 3.5 updates took about a year longer than Google and Samsung's.

Aside from Mobvoi TicWatches stubbornly sticking around, Google's pre-Wear OS 3 clients have quietly given up on the brand, either unable to compete on software or not seeing the upside with Samsung dominating sales.

To remain relevant, Google and Samsung saw that Wear OS needed closer phone-watch integration and improved health tracking. The problem is that this focus leaves little room for Wear OS brands that don't have their own phones to sync software, or the ability to spend billions acquiring IP like Fitbit to compete.

Fossil gave us the Gen 6 Hybrid Wellness, the Skagen Falster Gen 6, and other subbrand options from Michael Kors, Citizen, and Kate Spade; now we've lost that attention to classic-style design and any likely chance of hybrid Wear OS watches with more variety. Even if Google leaving Fossil behind was a necessity for Wear OS to grow, it's still a shame!

February: OnePlus breathes fresh air and battery power into Wear OS

Losing Fossil was easier to swallow because OnePlus took its place the following month, launching the OnePlus Watch 2 in February and Watch 2R in July.

The Watch 2 has its issues, likely stemming from OnePlus using two different OSes — Wear OS and RTOS — that didn't always communicate perfectly. But it was also the coming-out party for Google's Wear OS Hybrid Interface, which relegates background tasks to the low-powered coprocessor to save battery life.

OnePlus's watch easily lasts 3–4 days without needing as massive a battery as a TicWatch, giving a cheaper option for anyone who didn't want to shell out the big bucks for a Galaxy Watch Ultra. And this focus on efficiency has paid off for Google and Samsung, too: Wear OS 5 has made their mainline watches last closer to two days in normal conditions when old Wear OS watches always required daily charges (and sometimes twice-daily).

I'll also cheat and bring up Xiaomi, which officially rejoined the Wear OS family in late 2023 with the Watch 2 Pro, a few years after its one ill-fated Wear OS Mi Watch in 2019. It then sold the Watch 2 with Wear OS in February 2024. Now, with the OnePlus Watch 3 already rumored for early 2025, it's telling that Chinese OEMs see the profitability in using Wear OS as their baseline after largely ignoring it for a decade.

June-July: Samsung and OnePlus bring back 'cheap' Wear OS

It doesn't take an industry expert to guess that Samsung designed the $199 Galaxy Watch FE as its spin on the Apple Watch SE, seeing a chance to target thrifty fans looking for cheap Android watches. It gives you years of Wear OS updates for cheap, but I disliked how Samsung gave a 2024 watch a 2021 chip, making it feel last-gen from the start; I think it needed a newer Exynos chip, with cutbacks in other areas.

Then you have the $229 OnePlus Watch 2R, which has the same chip, display, RAM, battery, and software as the Watch 2 for $70 less, cutting back on premium steel and more durable glass. Basically, it's the same watch, only a bit uglier, which is perhaps why it's not quite as cheap as the Watch FE: better components.

Even if I'm the kind of smartwatch power user who spends extra for quality, most people prefer something affordable without having to buy an older model; Wear OS getting more bargain-priced watches is a good sign that its market has grown outside of Android superfans.

August: Samsung experiments again with the Galaxy Watch Ultra

When ten generations of Apple Watches all look largely identical, you have to give props to Samsung for selling three separate Pro, Classic, and Ultra watches in three years, each with a distinct design and perks. The mainline Galaxy Watch design hasn't changed much, but one leak suggested Samsung might try a squircle display for the Galaxy Watch 8.

The point is Samsung is willing to try new things and see what works; the Galaxy Watch Ultra is the result. It's a stylish, rugged watch with a bright display, strong fitness performance, and (unfortunately) a higher-than-usual price tag. You can resent the fact that Samsung has started charging so much for a smartwatch, but it also didn't reserve that many killer features for it, meaning the Galaxy Watch 7 is still appealing for features, just not as much for looks or battery. You won't feel too much FOMO if you skip the Ultra.

Hopefully, we'll see more "premium" smartwatches from Google, OnePlus, and other brands in the future, with designs that aren't quite so...techy.

September: The Pixel Watch 3 closes the gap with Samsung

Google's first Pixel Watch had outdated hardware, limited Fitbit tools, short battery life, and a unique design that drew the eye. Each subsequent generation fixed significant flaws, and the Pixel Watch 3 has gotten even closer to being a truly complete package now that it has two display sizes and more efficient battery life.

Even though Google still falls short of the Galaxy Watch in areas like durability and length of software support, I find that understandable for a third-generation watch up against a seventh-gen watch. And given Google's well-known tendencies to kill projects that aren't instant successes, I'm thrilled the Pixel Watch lasted long enough to iterate into one of my favorite smartwatches, even though we never see Google listed among the top-selling smartwatch brands.

Fall: Wear OS 5 is fantastic (except for the rollout)

Wear OS 5 made the system more battery-efficient, finally started reflowing content to match larger or smaller displays, made it easier to emulate fitness watches' workouts with "debounced goals," and added or upgraded core Google apps with Google Home controls, Camera viewfinder, Pixel Call Screening, and Recorder. Compared to past Wear OS versions with more boring update logs, it was a strong year.

My only gripe with Wear OS 5 is that it blocks one of my favorite apps for the sake of better battery life.

Samsung's One UI 6 Watch spinoff focused more on Galaxy AI, with tools like Energy Score, Wellness Tips, gesture detection, and AI-suggested replies — though it also improved workout tools and added sleep apnea detection.

The only downside to this feature-packed update is that it made Wear OS updates even slower. Google had to roll its Wear OS 5 update back in September because it was crashing watches, then it took until mid-November to fix the issue. Samsung, which started rolling out Wear OS 4 to old Galaxy Watches in August, only began its Wear OS 5 rollout in November and finished in December. That's a substantial gap!

One big question will be whether brands stuck on Wear OS 4, like OnePlus, Xiaomi, and Mobvoi, will be able to promptly update to Wear OS 5 or remain a year or more behind because of its substantial changes. The other big question is whether this is the new normal and whether Android watches will take as long as Android phones to update.

Now: Wear OS 5.1 and beyond into 2025

Aside from the Wear OS 5.1 preview — an Android 15-backed update that adds support for a credential manager and playing music on watch speakers — we're not going to see any new Wear OS updates through March, according to Google.

Still, I expect Wear OS watches to go through even more exciting changes in 2025, and I'll cover my predictions next week, from a major AI focus to long-overdue new watch hardware.

For now, I'll return to my main point: before Wear OS 3, this site recommended non-Wear OS watches to Android users. And if you'd told those industry experts four years ago that the Wear OS market would be this strong, they'd have been skeptical that Google could pull it off. So credit where credit's due! If you're looking for the best Android watch picks today, you're probably looking at Wear OS first.

Garmin watches are popular with fitness enthusiasts who have the patience to sift through its tricky UI, the Labyrinthian Connect app, and the weird IQ spinoff where Garmin hides its best third-party tools.

It's not especially accessible to people coming from Apple and Android watches with better smarts. While I review most of our Garmin watches, my colleagues who've tested some models have complained about the high learning curve and unnecessary confusion.

Last month, I wrote about every feature Wear OS should borrow from Garmin, a long list from downloadable courses and better accessory support to battery life concerns, among other weak points. So, I think it's only fair to turn things around on Garmin: there are areas where it could learn from a brand like Wear OS, which is designed to cater to "mainstream" users and be as accessible as possible.

Garmin can't offer certain smarts because at least half of its users use iPhones, and Apple will keep blocking other watches from syncing properly until the EU forces them to open things up. In the meantime, with so many smartwatches adding fitness tools like training load to try and compete with Garmin, it makes sense for Garmin to turn the tables and compete more on smarts.

Spread the Fenix 8's offline assistant as fast as possible

The Garmin Fenix 8 added the brand's first offline voice assistant; you hold down a button, then say a command like "Open Spotify," "Start a Cycling workout," or "Show me my most recent workout," and have it take you where you need to go.

It's not perfect — it's a little slow, and Garmin needs to keep adding more recognized commands — but it's very useful. So it's a shame that very few Garmin watches have a mic, and the only (somewhat) affordable model (the Garmin Venu 3) only supports passthrough commands to your phone assistant.

If a $50 Amazfit Band 7 can afford to pack in a mic for Alexa commands, I think more Garmin watches can fit them in, not just the mainline Venus and Fenixes. And voice commands will help newer users find information before they're familiar with the UI. Google Assistant is a key reason people buy Wear OS watches, and Garmin needs to make its assistant as widespread.

Copy Wear OS tiles

Garmin finally made its UI a little smarter last year by making its apps easier to find and adding a list view that is accessible with the main Start button. It may not have a grid view like the Pixel Watch 3 or Galaxy Watch 7, but I think that's more about aesthetics than functionality, and Garmin doesn't have as many apps to worry about.

What would help far more is copying Wear OS's tile view, letting you swipe left and right from Garmin's main watch face to see your favorite graphs or functions.

Rather than having to swipe down to the compact weather widget, select it, and then scroll down to find the hourly or daily forecast, it'd be nice to swipe right and have a full view of that data immediately. The same goes for flashlight controls or seeing your daily calendar with the suggested/scheduled workout — there are so many functions that require two or three taps every time that Garmin could make them more accessible for those who want to prioritize that data.

In my case, I find it a bit annoying that to see my acute load or load focus, I have to scroll down to the Training Status widget, then scroll down to the sub-widget and select it. Some graphs have watch face shortcuts, but you're limited if you buy an "S" model with a smaller display and less room for data. Other data like Challenges and monthly mileage require diving into the mobile app.

If, instead, Garmin took after Wear OS and let you highlight your favorite graphs and app views with a couple of swipes, that would also make things more accessible. Now that more models use AMOLED displays and touchscreens, it's time to take advantage of the extra pixels.

Make LTE an option already

Plenty of Garmin fans have clamored for this for years. Aside from the Garmin Forerunner 945 LTE — which only used cellular for basic safety check-ins — and the kid-focused Garmin Bounce LTE, Garmin never lets you pay extra for cellular, even as competing flagship watches like the Galaxy Watch Ultra or Apple Watch Ultra 2 make it a default.

I personally don't care about LTE watches because I'm too cheap to give my carrier more money and almost always have my phone on hand. But being unable to send check-ins, incident detection warnings, or manual SOS because your phone battery died is hard to accept for Garmin fans who'd willingly pay for that peace of mind...but don't want to bother with an InReach Messenger Plus and a hyper-expensive satellite subscription.

Fenix and Venu models with the mic/speaker combo should allow for standalone calls or the ability to record voice clips and add them to your next check-in for loved ones to hear.

Make Garmin Coach a chatbot / health guru (I guess...)

Garmin's Firstbeat Analytics and Coaching algorithms make it the brand to beat for training guidance. It's also one of the best for overall data accuracy. Yet when it comes to general health advice or making its data accessible, it's easy to argue that Google and Samsung have recently gained the edge and even some smart rings.

Samsung only recently added its Energy Score (similar to Body Battery), but it also has new Galaxy AI Wellness tips; the image above shows how it can track and display trends like changing resting heart rate or dipping body fat.

Fitbit has always been popular for summarizing your health information in accessible ways, as long as you pay for Premium. A more recent development is its Gemini-based Fitbit Insight Explorer: It's an opt-in service that analyzes your steps, Active Zone Minutes, sleep quality, HRV, RHR, and other data, then lets you ask its chatbot questions about your averages, trends, and personal bests.

Garmin has a wealth of information it could summarize in weekly or monthly reports, but its "In Focus" widgets show basic weekly trends for things like mileage and load without commentary, and all of its Health graphs are buried a few layers deep in the "More" tab where most people never look.

Instead, Garmin might highlight promising or negative health trends in its Morning Report; ideally, it could also provide monthly summaries of how your training load, VO2 Max, and other fitness stats compare to past months. It could recommend changes like more anaerobic workouts or more steps.

To be honest, I'm not thrilled to imagine Garmin Coach progressing from this silent, data-driven platform to some public-facing chatbot like Amazfit's Zepp Coach. But for all the people who use ChatGPT as their default search engine and knowledge base, they'll find Wear OS watches more accessible because they're starting to go all-in on AI insights, and Garmin might need to find an AI partner to help them compete.

Above all else, accessibility is key

I don't want Garmin to become a carbon copy of Wear OS. Core customers love its watches for their long battery life and wouldn't want to lose that for "smarts" that they don't need. But at the same time, I know plenty of people who want to like Garmin watches but can't get past how dense and complicated everything is.

If Garmin can use voice commands, pseudo-tiles, and off-device AI processing to help users find health and fitness information, it will have taken some of the best aspects of using the best Wear OS watches while still retaining its identity.

The OnePlus Watch 3 has the chance to be one of the best Android watches we've seen, pushing Samsung and Google out of their comfort zone. But only if it resolves the flaws of the OnePlus Watch 2.

A leaker has suggested the OnePlus Watch 3 will arrive next month alongside the OnePlus 13 and 13R, both officially confirmed to launch in January 2025. The Watch 2 arrived in March 2024, but perhaps OnePlus wants to align its flagship phone and watch launches for better sales and bundles.

The OnePlus Watch 2 was the company's first Wear OS watch, and it stunned us with its multi-day battery life, fast performance, and attractive steel design. It also had fundamental issues with software and health accuracy, and other complaints about its size and missing features.

I polled our two OnePlus Watch 2 reviewers, Harish Jonnalaggadda and Nick Sutrich, while using my experience reviewing the budget OnePlus Watch 2R, to come up with a comprehensive list of everything we want from the OnePlus Watch 3!

Two sizes and a working crown

Both the OnePlus Watch 2 and 2R shipped in one fairly large size, with a 1.43-inch AMOLED display that matches the 1.43-inch, 45mm Pixel Watch 3 and falls slightly short of the 1.5-inch, 44mm Galaxy Watch 7. Unlike both of those watches, it has a 47mm, classic-style case that's large and heavy by any standard — about 80g with the strap.

Also unlike Google and Samsung, OnePlus only sold that one size option. Harish, who liked the Watch 2's overall look but not its "sizeable bezel" and "bulky" feel, says a smaller Watch 3 is his main request.

Our first hope for the OnePlus Watch 3 is that it sells a smaller option, most likely a 43mm case with a 1.25- or 1.3-inch display, that still retains a large battery capacity and its MIL-STD-810H-grade steel design.

Our second hope is that the Watch 3 has a working crown. The Watch 2's top-right crown button was "purely for aesthetics," as you could press to select but not scroll. Some Wear OS functions are annoying to swipe through, which is why Google and Samsung use a crown and digital bezel; let's hope OnePlus gets with the program.

Wear OS 5, notification fixes, and backups

The OnePlus Watch 2 launched with Wear OS 4 and has two promised version updates, so we expect Wear OS 5 on the Watch 3 at launch. But Wear OS watches are plagued by slow updates, and brands other than Google and Samsung have typically trailed a year behind them for version updates. So we're crossing our fingers that OnePlus keeps pace and we don't have to wait for OS 5.

Wear OS 5 added screen size optimization, reflowing text to fit smaller or larger screens, which would help OnePlus sell a new petite display option. It also added battery optimizations that would make the Watch 3 even more long-lived, plus various fitness tools for more dynamic workouts.

But OnePlus will have its own spinoff of Wear OS 5, with unique perks and downsides. Case in point, its version of Wear OS 4 doesn't support easy watch backups or transfers to your next Android phone, forcing you to scan a QR code just to transfer your health data. We'd want OnePlus to catch up on this front.

OnePlus uses a unique dual-OS system for its watches, with Wear OS for the main tasks and low-powered, proprietary RTOS running low-powered tasks on the coprocessor. This system is the secret to its 4-day battery life, but it also gave several of us consistent problems with ghost notifications never making it from phone to watch.

To be fair to OnePlus, we've also seen reports of ghost notifications on the Galaxy Watch 7. But OnePlus especially seems to struggle with the issue, and we'd like to see that resolved or reduced by the OnePlus Watch 3 launch.

Samsung gives its Galaxy Watches unique perks for Samsung phone owners (AI insights, AFib readings, and sleep apnea detection); the same goes for Google and Pixel owners (Pixel call screening, synced watch-phone recordings, Ultra Wideband phone unlock). OnePlus phones dominate our best Android phones list, and we'd love to see OnePlus phone owners have unique Wear OS perks of their own to enjoy.

A major health and fitness overhaul

One of our biggest complaints with the OnePlus Watch 2 was with health and activity monitoring. Our reviewer Harish found that it had inconsistent step counts, "hilariously bad" stress data, and bad sleep-stage proportions. And Nick, who wore the OnePlus Watch 2 and Pixel Watch 2 for a week, found that OnePlus struggled to accurately capture higher heart rates during his workouts.

Interestingly, when I tested the OnePlus Watch 2R's accuracy, it did far better than expected. It wasn't as good as my Garmin watch and its average HR was usually 1–2 bpm below the correct levels, but it was surprisingly decent for step count and good enough for distance thanks to its dual-band GPS.

Our hope is that whatever behind-the-scenes tweaks OnePlus gave the Watch 2R will be applied to the Watch 3, and it won't be quite so useless when it comes to your workout data. But that's just the start of what OnePlus needs to do.

Compared to Apple, Samsung, and Google, OnePlus doesn't offer certain mainline health features like an ECG for active AFib detection or passive tracking of irregular heart rhythm throughout the day. You don't get skin temperature readings for sleep quality or health warnings, nor menstrual cycle tracking (a fairly common feature across most watch brands). Nor is there any kind of fall detection feature.

It's also fair to call out the companion OHealth app, which is quite basic compared to Fitbit or Samsung Health. The data collected is shown in a pleasing and straightforward way, but you won't find an energy score, training load, sample workouts, health reports, food/ water logging, or any number of other essentials you take for granted with other watches. Exporting to Strava or using Health Connect is usually the best option.

If OnePlus wants to compete with the big-name brands, it needs to offer more value to its fitness-focused or health-conscious customers, or else make a deal with Google to make Fitbit the default.

Hoping for more than an iterative update

There are other small OnePlus Watch 3 requests like LTE support, a DC dimming option for the display for PWM-sensitive people, a much higher max brightness (the Watch 2 and 2R hit 600 and 1,000 nits, respectively), and more interesting default watch faces.

But the real question comes down to what processor the OnePlus Watch 3 uses. I suspect it'll be the Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1, same as other recent watches like the Pixel Watch 3 and TicWatch Pro 5 Enduro. So it's a shame OnePlus couldn't have waited, since the next Snapdragon chip is due in mid-2025 and could deliver far better performance and efficiency.

We gave the OnePlus Watch 2 a pass on a lot of things because it was the first Wear OS watch and did a fantastic job in key areas like battery life. But we'll be much harder on the Watch 3 if it can't catch up to the best Android watches for most of the requests above.

Just a few years ago, I'd never used any Android smartwatch. Now look at my pile of Wear OS review units above; I've spent weeks or months with each of the most popular Android watches, and fancy myself a Wear OS expert. With Black Friday deals in full swing, I'm here to point you toward the watch you actually need, not just the best price or impulse buy.

It's my job this week to highlight Black Friday smartwatch deals, but they're all on sale. The old Wear OS 3.5 watches like the TicWatch E3 ($79) or Pro 3 ($119) are the cheapest; the last-gen Pixel Watch 2 ($145) and Galaxy Watch 6 ($139) fall in the middle; and the latest Galaxy, Pixel, and OnePlus watches are all about $200–300, depending on which size you choose.

This Android smartwatch Black Friday guide will run through the hardware, software, health, and fitness differences across each major brand, to help you choose the best fit! And within each brand, I'll help you decide if, for instance, you can get away with a last-gen Pixel Watch, or if you'd prefer the Watch 6 Classic or Ultra.

Wear OS 3, 4, 5, and beyond

You can technically use almost any fitness smartwatch with Android, and most of our favorites from Garmin, Fitbit, and others are on sale too! But this guide will focus more on Wear OS watches that integrate directly with Android phones and apps.

Wear OS 3 or 3.5 watches like the Fossil Gen 6 and TicWatch Pro 3 are very cheap right now and still receive the occasional security update, but their older hardware can't accommodate the newer software. I'll walk you through whether Wear OS 4, 5, and future versions are worth paying extra for.

Wear OS 4 added the ability to backup and restore your smartwatch, as well as transfer it to a new phone without having to factory reset it and lose all your apps and settings. It also made some power optimizations such as enabling XML watch faces, to help your watch last longer.

Wear OS 5 is where Google and Samsung really went all out. The software became much more efficient by pushing more actions to the low-powered coprocessor. Content now reflows to take advantage of larger screens, while watch faces added some key metrics like weather forecasts and goal progress; Google added new tools like Recorder, Google Home controls, and a camera viewfinder, while fitness apps could now support more in-depth and responsive workouts. Samsung watches also added AI-enabled Energy scores and suggested replies, plus new gestures and sleep apnea detection.

We don't know yet what Wear OS 6 will bring to the table, but the current focus seems to be on battery efficiency, new fitness tricks, Google app integrations, and more AI capabilities. If you can get a smartwatch with Wear OS 5, or due to receive Wear OS 6+, then you'll know it's built to last.

Samsung Galaxy Watch (7, Ultra, Classic): Pros and cons

Samsung watches have the highest sales among Android smartwatches, most likely because it's the top-selling Android phone brand and people like the interplay between Galaxy devices. However, Samsung's size and global reach have allowed it to sell a greater variety of watch designs, launching Ultra, Classic, Pro, and FE models in the last three years.

Samsung Galaxy Watches' strengths:

• Exynos hardware is optimized for speedy performance
• Classic, Ultra both offer unique looks for Android watches
• Most Wear OS updates (4 years) and speediest behind Google
• Samsung Health AI insights are useful and currently free (though maybe not in 2026+)
• Latest models have accurate HR and GPS tracking

Samsung Galaxy Watches' weaknesses

• Mainline watch design isn't that attractive; lack of crown is polarizing
• Need to pay top dollar for consistent multi-day battery life (Ultra)
• Galaxy Watch FE is just a reskinned Watch 4 with old tech
• Some features require Galaxy phone (AFib detection, sleep apnea)

Current deals: As of publication, the Watch FE ($126), Watch 6 ($139), Watch 7 ($202), Watch 6 Classic ($239), and Watch Ultra ($434) all have significant Black Friday discounts. They're cheapest on Amazon, but if you buy from Samsung, you can trade in any watch for $100 extra off, or most Galaxy Watches for $200–300 off, making most of them close to free.

My recommendation: The Galaxy Watch 7, Watch Ultra, and Watch 6 are all on my best Android watch guide, and we've given each glowing reviews with a few caveats. Any of these are worth buying, especially if you have a Galaxy phone.

Comparing the Watch 7 vs. Watch 6, they aren't all that different aside from the newer Exynos chip, extra storage, and improved GPS and HR data. I would benefit from the Watch 7 because I'm a runner, but the Watch 6 is more than good enough for casual athletes, especially at that price and with three years of updates remaining. That's my first recommendation.

You can also pay a little extra for the Watch 6 Classic, but only if you're really invested in its style and the physical rotating bezel. Since Samsung abandoned the Watch 5 Pro, it could easily do the same for the 6 Classic now that it has the expensive Ultra; that means now's your chance to get one.

I love my Galaxy Watch Ultra for its doubled battery life, 3,000-nit display, and cooler design than other Galaxy Watches. But even at a deal price, it's expensive; you can cut the price down to $189 with the right trade-in, but at the full $434, it's harder to recommend when you can get another Galaxy Watch for less than half that.

Google Pixel Watch (3 and 2): Pros and cons

While the original Pixel Watch was a long-delayed, fun but flawed smartwatch, the Pixel Watch 2 and Watch 3 fixed its flaws by adding a properly fast Snapdragon chip (PW2), an array of Fitbit sensors (PW2), and a bright, thin-bordered display in two sizes (PW3). Without these deal-breakers, the Pixel Watch has become a great Pixel phone companion.

Google Pixel Watches' strengths:

• First to receive a lot of Google-specific apps and tricks, with three OS updates
• Probably the most non-traditional and eye-catching Android watch design
• Fitbit health data is often spot-on, and its fitness software keeps improving
• All-around strong performance and improved battery life with Wear OS 5

Google Pixel Watches' weaknesses:

• Rounded display is fairly vulnerable to damage, lacks sapphire glass
• Tends to be the most expensive and least frequently discounted, with the only Wear OS health subscription
• No alternate or "Ultra" versions with enhanced battery for power users

Current deals: The Pixel Watch 3 45mm ($329) is only $70 off, but the LTE version ($329) is $170 off, meaning you might as well get the free cellular perk. The Pixel Watch 3 41mm ($279) is a little more affordable, while the Pixel Watch 2 ($145) has a strong discount.

My recommendations: Several Android Central staffers use the Pixel Watch 3 as their daily smartwatch despite having other free options on hand; that's why I titled my Watch 3 review "Our favorite smartwatch." They prefer Google's colorful UI and stock Wear OS software to Samsung's One UI Watch — not to mention the Pixel Watch's more attractive look and crown controls.

That being said, the Pixel Watch 3 and 2 aren't for everyone. They have exclusive integrations with Pixel phone apps and tools, which may be a deal-breaker or draw for you. Fitbit caters to athletes, but the lack of metal around the display doesn't lend itself to rugged sports conditions. And other Wear OS watches last days longer.

If you're weighing the Pixel Watch 3 vs. Watch 2, it really comes down to whether or not you want to jump from a thick-bordered 1.2-inch display to a brighter, smoother 1.28- or 1.43-inch display. The newer watch has other upgrades like faster charging and UWB that the linked guide runs through; the visual downgrade is what matters most, but it'll save you about $130. Not a bad trade!

OnePlus Watch (2 & 2R): Pros & cons

OnePlus' first Wear OS watch, the OnePlus Watch 2, was a collaborative effort with Google, using Wear OS for the main Snapdragon chip but a coprocessor running its proprietary RTOS for background tasks. The OnePlus Watch 2R has the same internals, only a plainer and less rugged design for a lower price. Both have OnePlus' trademark fast-charging tech and strong performance, but also some flaws that more polished Wear OS watches lack.

OnePlus watches' strengths:

• The battery life will blow you away
• Military-grade durability and classic style (Watch 2 only)
• Surprisingly decent fitness accuracy with dual-band GPS
• Very affordably priced
• Two promised Wear OS updates

OnePlus watches' weaknesses

• No smaller display option or working crown
• No guarantee on how quickly Wear OS updates will arrive
• OHealth is bare compared to Samsung Health or Fitbit
• No LTE option outside of China

Current deals: The OnePlus Watch 2 ($199) has a greater discount than the Watch 2R ($169), and it's also the only watch currently available on Amazon. The Watch 2R ships directly from OnePlus and comes with a free fluoroelastomer band in the box.

My recommendation: The main reason to buy the Watch 2 is for its 3–4-day battery life, matching or beating the Galaxy Watch Ultra but for less than half the price. In exchange, you miss out on Samsung or Google perks like ECGs, skin temperature readings, standalone cellular, crown or bezel controls beyond screen swipes, and so on.

I also don't think I'd like using OHealth as my regular fitness guide; if you choose the Watch 2, I'd recommend relying on a third-party Wear OS option like Strava instead.

According to a leaker, the OnePlus Watch 3 arrives in January alongside the OnePlus 13. If that's true, then you may want to wait on buying the Watch 2. This new launch could herald the missing Wear OS 5 update for the older watches; if the Watch 3 also launches with Wear OS 4, that'll reveal something about whether or not OnePlus can keep up with Google and Samsung on software.

Mobvoi TicWatch (E3, 3, 5, Enduro, Atlas): Pros and cons

TicWatch is the one Wear OS brand left standing that doesn't have its own ecosystem of devices and focuses solely on smartwatches. It releases new watches every year like clockwork, and we've almost always given them positive reviews. But ever since Wear OS 3, Mobvoi has fallen about a year behind other brands on updates while losing access to features like Google Assistant.

Mobvoi TicWatch strengths:

• Enduro and Atlas have durability, battery life of GW Ultra for much less
• Unique dual-panel display can stretch battery over a month
• Performance is reliably fast, with access to Play Store suite

Mobvoi TicWatch weaknesses:

• Will probably remain a year behind Google and Samsung for updates, with no sign of Google Assistant
• Current watches have no guaranteed number of updates
• Most models come in one large, heavy size

Current deals: The TicWatch E3 ($79), Pro 3 GPS ($79), and Pro 3 Ultra ($119) are all about as cheap as a Wear OS watch is likely to be. For newer models with updated software, the TicWatch Pro 5 ($209) and Pro 5 Enduro ($244) are both over $100 off, while the newest Atlas ($279) is affordable if you compare it to the Galaxy Watch Ultra or Pixel Watch 3 45mm.

My recommendation: The Mobvoi Wear OS 4 update has a wide array of optimizations and fitness features. Older smartwatches like the TicWatch E3 and Pro 3 won't receive it, so read that list and decide if you can live without these perks before you buy a last-gen model. Personally, I wouldn't buy the older models, but that's because I'm willing to spend a little more on a smartwatch.

As for the latest models, we only rated the TicWatch Pro 5 higher than the 5 Enduro because the software update issue wasn't fully clear in 2023, and we expected the watches to get Google Assistant like Fossil watches did. By and large, you're buying TicWatches for the same reason as OnePlus watches: for the affordable battery life and rugged designs, and if you're less concerned about cutting-edge smart features.

Look at it this way: do you actually use smartwatch apps, or do you only use smartwatches to check notifications and work out? If the latter, then perhaps you don't need a Pixel or Galaxy watch with years of features to come, and you'll be happy with an affordable TicWatch instead.

We technically didn't cover every Wear OS smartwatch, but I don't recommend buying the Fossil Gen 6 — also on sale for Black Friday — because Fossil doesn't support Wear OS anymore, aside from the occasional security update. And if you find any other Wear OS watch in stock like the Citizen CZ Smart, the same principle applies (skip it).

The Xiaomi Watch 2 and 2 Pro aren't sold in the United States, and we've yet to review them; if they happen to be on sale in your region, then most of my OnePlus pros and cons will probably apply. On paper, they're very similar watches.

Otherwise, whatever Android smartwatch you're looking for, it's probably on sale right now! So hopefully this guide will help you focus on what you need (or don't need) from your next cheap smartwatch.

My initial bias against both Wear OS watches and Apple Watches was that wrist-based apps felt too limited when my phone was always right there. Why not buy a "dumber" watch that lasts a week or two instead if I don't need apps? I've even spoken to several avid Wear OS users who love having actionable notifications and Google Assistant, but when I asked them what their favorite Wear OS apps were, they couldn't think of any.

So I know I'm not alone in this feeling; unless you buy a standalone LTE watch specifically to leave your phone at home, you're probably not going to use the apps all that often — aside from obvious ones like workouts or answering calls.

But as I've begun to use watches like the Pixel Watch 3 and Galaxy Watch Ultra more extensively, I've surprised myself and found a few Google apps that I rarely use on my phone but love to use on my watch. Most recently, I've had a mini-love affair with the Recorder app — which was added in Wear OS 5 — and Google Keep Notes.

As much as I depend on Gmail, Drive, and Chrome daily, I mainly use them on my laptop unless I'm out and about. Otherwise, I find it hard to get attached to any particular Google app or tool when they're likely to get deprecated (aka Killed by Google™) at any given moment.

However, my new Wear OS focus and these voice-based apps are rekindling my enthusiasm for Google apps, and now I'm on the hunt to find more Wear OS apps that are actually fun to use.

Google Recorder: My new audio diary/reminder tool

I'm not thrilled that, in my mid-30s, I seem to forget a lot these days unless I write it down. I tap out phone notes or add reminders to my to-do app, but it's not always convenient, and I frequently spit out some rapid-fire text that makes sense at the time but is gibberish later.

Now, I've started using the Google Recorder app and Tile to take audio notes that sync to my Pixel 9. Later, I can generate a transcript to copy to other apps; it also syncs to recorder.google.com.

I wish I could edit its imperfect transcripts or see them on the watch itself, but it's certainly better than having no text at all! Recorder comes in handy for recording meeting notes on the fly without having to awkwardly hold my phone out. And I can't stress enough how useful the Recorder app has turned out for random moments of my day.

After training runs, I've taken to recording post-run summaries of how it went, any cool things I saw, and goals for future runs; later on, I copy the transcript over to a Google Doc, add my Strava stats and any photos, and just like that, I have a full-on running diary that feels more organic than typing everything out later.

(I also tried doing this with my Garmin Fenix 8, but the lack of phone syncs and transcription makes its recorder app less useful, for now.)

I used to jot down notes of my weirdest dreams to remember later, but squinting half-awake at my phone screen was annoying, and the notes never made much sense. Seriously, try to understand this one: "Thanksgiving, Jedi/yoda, headless horseman chasing me and cloned itself." That's a real dream note I made.

Now, I've taken to sneaking into the bathroom and whispering out a quick dream summary with the door closed so I don't wake up my partner. They're still nonsense, but I can describe the nonsense with more context because I'm not restricted by thumb-typing speed. Now, the next time I'm menaced by a headless horseman on Thanksgiving, I'll have more information to go on.

I'm not going out of my way to use the Recorder app, and it's still sometimes easier to type out things I want to remember. But I love having the option.

Google Keep Notes: Checking off my day

I've been using the Microsoft To Do app to keep myself organized for personal goals, chores, packing lists, and so on since before Microsoft bought it (remember Wunderlist?). So I've never felt the need to use Google Keep.

But since there's no Wear OS To Do app, I've taken to creating to-do lists in Keep every Monday morning and then checking them off my wrist throughout the work week so I don't lose track of any goals.

I also use Keep's voice-transcribed note function for the same reason as the Recorder app: to remind myself of things later without having to find and unlock my phone or type things out. I know I could do that just as easily in the mobile app, but I like the way Wear OS feels more casual and immediate for these apps.

Limited, with much potential

My initial skepticism still applies to a lot of other Wear OS apps. The initial time saved by using Wear OS is usually offset by the small display, the finicky touchscreen for typing things out on a little QWERTY keyboard, and the unreliable transcript when using voice-to-text.

Now, I'm happy to give Wear OS apps a second shot and acknowledge that I don't have to pull out my phone for everything. But I'm also hoping that the recent focus on Gemini AI will make its way to Wear OS watches so that apps can benefit from greater smarts when it comes to voice-to-text and commands. I still don't want to spend any time typing on a watch if I can help it.

Do you have a favorite Wear OS app that you prefer to use over the normal Android mobile version? I'm looking for future apps to highlight in this column and will happily take any recommendations!

Wear OS watch brands have gotten the memo: People want their smartwatches to focus on health and fitness as much as smarts and apps. Pixel and Galaxy Watches have become more competitive by copying fitness brands like Garmin (or using tricks acquired from other companies like Fitbit). But they still have a ways to go.

Before I became the Wearables lead for Android Central, I preferred fitness watches to traditional smartwatches, particularly Garmin watches. Now I'm focusing more heavily on Wear OS watches, which have perks Garmin can't offer. However, I also missed a lot of niche fitness tools and longer battery life when I switched to Wear OS — things that both serious athletes and "regular" people pay attention to when they choose their next watch.

I spoke to my colleagues Derrek Lee, Andrew Myrick, and Jerry Hildenbrand, who have all used both Wear OS watches and Garmin watches, to figure out what Wear OS should borrow from Garmin to become even better. Here's what we collectively came up with.

Dynamic training courses

Google Maps is one of the best tools on Wear OS, especially now that it has offline maps. But what it lacks are offline, downloadable courses for you to generate and follow for runs, hikes, and rides; you can only follow GPX maps using a couple of third-party apps.

With Garmin, you can download GPX files from apps like Strava to follow, with on-wrist turn-by-turn navigation and upcoming forks on trails. Or, with the "Create Course" tool, you drop a map pin, choose a distance and starting direction, and receive an automatic course that avoids inaccessible roads and uses the "Garmin Connect Trendline Popularity Routing feature to generate a course based on popular routes." Then you send it to your watch.

I have to assume that Google could offer better routes or heatmaps with its worldwide Maps data for pedestrians, the same way it shows real-time traffic for commuters. Now that Google Maps is adding Gemini AI, it should only get smarter over time at figuring out the best routes. I could even envision a Google Courses spin-off app of Maps that lets people create and share their favorite routes, tagging them for good hills or scenery. Then you could download and follow them on your Wear OS watch and compete against other runners' segment times like you can on Strava. Make it happen, Google!

As a side note, once Wear OS supports proper courses, it should also add the equivalent of Garmin's ClimbPro widget for runners and cyclists, showing the grade, distance, and total number of climbs left for a hard trail.

Better pairing with accessories

Wear OS doesn't play nice with Bluetooth accessories besides wireless earbuds and a few exercise equipment machines. Any athlete who prefers the accuracy of an ECG chest strap or an optical armband is out of luck, except for some niche Wear OS apps with the capability; the same goes for niche tools like temperature sensors or form analysis pods.

The real problem is for serious cycling or MTB, though. Unlike Garmin, you can't connect your power meters or speed/ cadence sensors to see key data on your watch face during activities. Since these watches have the latest Bluetooth standard, this feels like an overdue no-brainer for Google.

Cater to more than runners

Garmin has specialized software for niche sports, from golf swing coaching and surfing wave tracking to ski maps and oxygen tracking for diving. That's a lot to ask for with standard Wear OS watches, but "premium" watches like the Galaxy Watch Ultra need to grow in these areas to attract superusers.

My gym-loving coworkers, meanwhile, dislike how basic Wear OS is for strength training. The Galaxy Watch can count reps somewhat decently for a few basic routines, while the Pixel Watch has nothing but calories and time. The newer Garmin watches have great rep-counting accuracy for over 1,000 exercises and even automatically enter rest between sets without input.

Garmin also shows animated guidance for proper form, muscle maps for each exercise's impact, and a new Garmin Coach plan for strength training on the Fenix 8, giving you weeks of routines that adjust based on your abilities. Wear OS has a lot of room to grow, in other words, and this is a much more common use case that a lot of people would appreciate.

And yes, make the running even better

As a runner, I was thrilled by the Pixel Watch 3's running focus, as it added customizable workouts with intervals, Cardio Load and Target Load, running form analysis, and daily workout recommendations — all in line with Garmin Forerunner tools. The Galaxy Watch 7 added dual-band GPS, delivering more accurate tracking almost on par with Garmin's.

Overall, Wear OS has improved for runners, but there's room to grow. Samsung has yet to offer a training load feature, falling behind Google and Apple in guiding runners' long-term progress. And Google's TL tool lacks Garmin's finesse because it doesn't differentiate between low/ high aerobic and anaerobic activities, which is the best way to improve your VO2 Max.

Neither Samsung nor Google offers the running power metric to judge your real-time effort level in tough conditions, a common running watch tool. More specific to Garmin, Wear OS could use some kind of recovery estimate calculator for judging how much rest you need after a workout or the Forerunner 965's ability to chart your improvement in Endurance or Hill scores over time.

Most simply, I'd like to see Fitbit and Samsung Health let you track your mileage for shoes and bikes so you know when it's time for a shoe or tire replacement.

Copy Garmin's wheelchair mode

My colleague Jerry Hildenbrand wrote last year about why the Garmin Venu 3's wheelchair mode made a smartwatch more viable for him than other brands. It swaps out "steps" for "pushes," but it's more than that: It focuses on "wheelchair physiology" to consider that your reduced muscle mass "restricts the maximum amount of aerobic energy you can produce" and that "upper body exercise typically produces greater physiological strain than lower body exercise at similar workloads."

Garmin's focus is laudable and rare; most other brands, including the Wear OS ones, have either perfunctory or nonexistent modes for wheelchair-bound folks and will happily encourage everyone to stand up and move when some users can't. That's why this Garmin feature is something Wear OS needs to imitate.

In the end, it's all about battery life

Google had to invent a Hybrid Interface and make watch faces boringly low-powered just to extend its Pixel Watch 3 battery life from one to two days, while the Galaxy Watch Ultra lasts three days. Meanwhile, just about any non-Wear OS fitness watch can last a week, and Garmin watches last anywhere from weeks to months with solar recharging.

These watches use basic, low-powered chips that can't handle speedy apps; Wear OS is too demanding to last long at full power, especially if it starts adding Gemini tricks. So plenty of people pick a cheap, simple watch so they don't have to worry about charging it often, and that's the biggest hurdle Wear OS has to overcome.

When I interviewed Qualcomm VP of Wearables Dino Bekis, he acknowledged this, saying the goal is to deliver "a week's worth of battery life," either with RISC-V or custom Oryon cores. I can only assume that Google, their client, is asking for this battery upgrade to compete with fitness watches in terms of their strengths.

If the hardware can't deliver a battery boost, then Wear OS needs to offer a better Battery Saver mode, like the one on the TicWatch Pro 5 Enduro that extends the lifespan to 45 days per charge — only without disabling all the features that make people want to wear a smartwatch in the first place. Because Garmin watches may not have apps, but they can still last a long time without cutting health tracking and background data.

Wear OS 5 is a subtle but significant improvement for Wear OS watches across brands, with the Pixel Watch 3 and Galaxy Watch 7 showcasing its strengths. But the longer the update takes to arrive on last-gen watches, the more questions it raises about the OS' future.

Google first added Wear OS 5 to the Pixel Watch 2 and 1 on September 27 before pausing the rollout after reports of users' watches crashing, with "blank screens" forcing factory resets. The Wear OS team promised a resumed rollout "later this year," adding they would "share additional updates with our community as they become available."

It's been nearly six weeks since then, with no updates on when "later" will arrive; Samsung added Wear OS 5 to the Galaxy Watch 6 in the interim, beating the stock Wear OS devs to the punch, but it, too, hasn't updated its older Galaxy Watches since spring.

Last week, I contacted a Wear OS team member for new info on the root of the problem and the delay in solving it. In response, they linked to the original September help page, saying I'd "find what [I] need" there. I didn't, obviously.

Since Google wouldn't explain the delay, I speculated with my Android Central coworkers. We're guessing the Wear OS devs probably haven't replicated the configuration issue causing these blank screens, so they're stuck waiting to avoid a repeat of crashing watches. It's not that the older watches can't run Wear OS 5, especially since the Pixel Watch 2 and Pixel Watch 3 largely share the same tech.

Unlike Samsung, which pushed out eight One UI 6 Watch betas on the Galaxy Watch 6 before the stable build arrived for those in the program, Google doesn't offer a Wear OS beta program like it does with the mobile Android OS. Perhaps this incident will convince Google that it's worth exploring for Wear OS 6 to try and catch these issues beforehand and avoid the QA headache of a rolled-back update.

Android 15 took longer than usual to arrive this year, too, but phones have the headroom to implement a ton of new features, while smartwatches use old Arm Cortex cores and settle for a few software tweaks per year.

With Wear OS 5, you get battery optimization, better content reflow optimized to fit different screen sizes, new "flavors" and goals for the Watch Face Format, and a few new features for runners. Specific to the Pixel Watch, you'll see a Nest Cam view, Google TV controls, a recorder app, and a cam viewfinder mode; older Galaxy Watches will add Energy Scores, a new Quick Panel, universal gestures, and other tweaks.

I'm not saying Wear OS 3.5 in 2022 and Wear OS 4 in 2023 were unimportant updates, but their changes definitely felt more pedestrian. Wear OS 5 helped the Pixel Watch 3 and Galaxy Watch 7 have stronger-than-expected battery life compared to the last generation while also adding some juicy exclusives.

Maybe that's a partial explanation for why customers are having to wait months later than usual for this new update (the number of substantial changes). And that raises its own questions.

Wear OS already has a messy update history

Since Google and Samsung teamed up on Wear OS updates in mid-2021, it's become clear that any OEMs besides these two would struggle to keep up.

Wear OS 3 arrived in 2021, but it took Fossil until late 2022 to add it, and then another year for Wear OS 3.5 before abandoning the platform entirely. Mobvoi took until December 2023 to add Wear OS 3, then launched Wear OS 4 in September; its newest watches still don't have Google Assistant, even though we assumed the Wear OS 4 update would make it available. Who knows when (or if) they'll get Wear OS 5!

The newest Wear OS partners are OnePlus and Xiaomi. We've yet to test the Xiaomi Watch 2 or Watch 2 Pro, but we know they only just received Wear OS 4 in September 2024, a year behind; as for the OnePlus Watch 2, it's slated to receive Wear OS 5 and 6, but we don't know when.

We hope OnePlus fans won't have to wait long, but that seems to be the track record for everyone besides Google and Samsung for relatively minor changelogs. Now that Google itself is struggling to update its watches speedily, who knows what that means for its partners trying to add Wear OS 5. Will they need a year or more?

Whether Wear OS updates get quicker (or longer) will depend on hardware

Google promises its Pixel Watches will get three Wear OS updates, while Samsung promises four version updates. Compared to the seven or eight years of updates flagship phones get these days, Android watches get short shrift. Whether that changes will depend a lot on future Wear OS hardware.

I recently wrote about Google's leaked Pixel Watch chip plans and why it may play it safe with a lesser version of Samsung's Exynos W1000 with Arm cores rather than go all on in open-source RISC-V or try a Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 with Oryon cores.

If Google chooses Exynos-inspired Tensor hardware, it'll be because Arm cores keep watches priced low, allow Google to control its software roadmap, and make it easier for third parties to stick with the same Wear OS coding that they're familiar with. At the same time, Tensor optimization would keep the status quo, with a limit on what Wear OS watches can do and other OEMs scrambling to stay a year behind Google and Samsung.

After hearing Qualcomm VP of Wearables Dino Bekis talk about future Wear OS watches with a goal of week-long battery life, more AI and compute capability, and a platform with enough "headroom" to "scale for multiple years," I'll admit that it made me hope for more. But that could come with its own update problems.

On the plus side, an optimized RISC-V chip or more powerful Snapdragon chip could make future Wear OS updates more substantive, leave room for future updates beyond three years, and give OEMs more headroom to implement their own watch software features instead of having to stay in lesser lockstep behind Google.

As a negative, more powerful smartwatch chips could make watches more expensive and make it much harder to optimize future Wear OS updates for current hardware — especially if Google chooses the RISC-V route.

I don't know what will happen with future Wear OS watch hardware, and if it'll make this year's messy update a thing of the past or a common occurrence. What I do know is that companies should have greater transparency around delays and glitches like this.

It's been three months since the August 2024 Wear OS update, and Pixel Watch 1 and 2 users being kept in radio silence after a glitchy annual update will remember this delay when choosing their next watch, whether it's the excellent Pixel Watch 3, Pixel Watch 4, or a different brand entirely.

Of course, Samsung (the most obvious alternative) has been lax when it comes to keeping its older watches updated every month. It makes me wonder why Wear OS watches are so difficult to update, both for small and major updates!

Google may not want headlines saying what went wrong, but not explaining the delay isn't any better. Watches aren't phones: People don't want to upgrade them every year, but simply for them to last a long time and for new software to keep them fresh and running smoothly as the battery life worsens and CPU gets increasingly dated.

The longer the gaps between updates, the more people will start to look for any alternative, whether it's Wear OS or something else.