News Weekly: Wear OS 6 in action, Garmin finally gets Google Health Connect, Galaxy Watch 8 Classic leaks, and more

This is Android Central's News Weekly, your go-to source for a concise roundup of the week's most significant tech stories. This is where we delve into the top headlines that provide the latest developments and innovations contributing to the digital landscape.

This week was all about Google I/O, and Google wrapped up its two-day developer conference, announcing some of the biggest changes to its platform, from AI to Android XR. We even got to see Google's smartglasses in action, try out Samsung's XR headset, and even give Gemini on Android Auto a spin!

While, Google's I/O dominated this week's news, we also caught a glimse of Wear OS 6 in action, Garmin watches finally got support for Google Health Connect, CAD renders of Samsung's rumored Galaxy Watch 8 classic surfaced, Android 16's QPR1 Beta 1 showed up with Material 3 Expressive, and Nothing even stepped into the over-ear headphones game. Let's get right to it.

Early look at Wear OS 6

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Google announced significant UI changes for its Wear OS watches during The Android Show earlier this month. However, it also announced some new features that Wear OS 6 could bring to the table.

AC's Senior Editor, Michael Hicks who was present at Google I/O stumbled upon a Pixel Watch 3 loaded with an early build of Wear OS 6, while exploring some of the booths that was set up at the conference and even got to see how Material 3 Expressive played out on the watch.

"Outside of the Android Village for the I/O dev sessions, I spotted two Pixel Watch 3 units with a colorful AOD 'fully charged' screen I hadn't seen before," he described.

Hicks pointed out that while the the smooth scrolling UI immediatly caught his eyes, the most substantial change was with the app Tiles. "Quite simply, they're busier than OS 5 Tiles, which tend to be more understated and basic."

The other aspect he highlighted was how users could set a theme on their wearables, which was announced with the Material 3 Expressive, where users can "pull primary and secondary colors from your watch face and color the entire UI to match," he added.

Garmin Watches finally get Google Health Connect

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Google announced at I/O this year that Garmin watches will soon gain support for Health Connect, with the rollout starting in June this year.

This is a key development as Garmin watch users will finally be able to breathe easy as Health Connect is expanding its "sharing data" function, which can share your health information across multiple apps. Google says Health Connect will pick up Runna and Mi Fitness, in addition to Garmin.

Previously, Garmin users would have to use third-party syncing apps to do the above, which were less secure or wouldn't track data accurately.

Google adds that this integration will let users consolidate health data and record things like allergies and immunizations to "enable richer experiences," making Health Connect a central hub for fitness and health tracking on Android devices. Google further states that this will help your apps stay informed about you while also providing users with better everyday "medical context."

Tipster leaks CAD renders of the alleged Galaxy Watch 8 Classic

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Prominent tipster Steve H. McFly (OnLeaks), in collaboration with Sammy Guru, revealed alleged CAD renders of the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic.

The leak claims that the smartwatch will launch only in one size, with a 47mm dial, which is much larger than the standard models. The Galaxy Watch 8 Classic will also apparently have a 450mAh battery capacity, which is slightly more than the Galaxy Watch 7 (44mm) battery, at 425mAh.

There have been various rumors suggesting this watch could come with a physical rotating bezel, which was last seen on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic. Sammy Guru also solidifies these claims by stating that" it really seems like the rotating bezel is making a return."

The renders depict the watch in black, showcasing a squircle outer frame like the Galaxy Watch Ultra. A silver rotating bezel encircles the dial. The image also reveals two buttons on one side, flanking a smaller orange button.

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

Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1 starts rolling out

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Google has started rolling out a preview of the first Quarterly Platform Release (QPR) for Android 16, ahead of its official launch slated later this year.

The Android 16 QPR1 (BP31.250502.008) Beta 1 comes packed with platform feature updates and a preview of the new features that will appear on the stable version. It brings the all-new Material 3 Expressive UI upgrade, which is said to be the evolution of Material Design 3.

For starters, you get a revamped notification shade that adds a customizable, sort of transparent design. The quick toggle section can now fit 12 or more icons, and you can customize their sizes and make them larger and better defined or smaller and more compact.

Beta testers also get a sneak peek of Gemini's latest live notifications and screen recording capabilities. Additionally, it brings a colorful Settings app redesign as well, grouping icons with different colors — sound settings take a shade of red, network icons are blue, display icons are coral, and so on, as seen below.

Nothing is launching its over-ear headphones

We're making Over-Ear Headphones - YouTube

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Nothing seems to be dipping its fingers in all the possible pots. Earlier this week, the company basically confirmed that they're working on creating over-ear headphones that could potentially compete with the AirPod Max and other top wireless headphones, but won't be as expensive as Apple's offering, we hope.

The clue dropped in a YouTube video where the design team broke down what they’re after, though they’re still keeping the name a mystery. The teaser comes after Nothing's team-up with audio gear company KEF. The London-based company has kept the specs under wraps, only confirming its debut this summer.

Assuming its first over-ear headphones are in collab with KEF tells us one thing: these will be its most expensive audio gear yet.

More stories this week

Those are some of the biggest stories from this week. Meanwhile, here are some other stories that are worth catching up on:

• Google Home details 'summaries' test and Gemini-powered automation
• AI Mode levels up with new AI features, stealing Google Search's spotlight
• Meta beats Android XR to the punch by making Instagram scrolling spatial
• Oppo says its apps on the Reno 14 series will see full Gemini integration
• Verizon hits play on its Motorola Razr 2025 rollout, brings perks to customers
• Honor unveils two new AI-powered phones that’ll make your photos pop
• Someone got their hands on the alleged Galaxy Z Fold 7 — here's the first look
• Early Google Photos code might've shown off its 'Expressive' new look
• Xreal unveiled its Android XR-powered smart glasses at I/O, but that wasn't the only announcement
• Google Beam turns 2D video calls into futuristic 3D experiences