Wear OS 4 With Improved Battery Life, Customisable Watch Faces Launched

Google's next version of its smartwatch operating system was announced at the Google I/O Conference 2023. Called Wear OS 4, the new version has been a long time coming. The previous Wear OS 3 was announced back in 2021, but has been featured only in a handful of smartwatches.

The new Wear OS 4 brings significant new improvements and enhancements to the smartwatch ecosystem. For one, it now supports a full-fledged version of WhatsApp.

Wear OS 4: Key Features

Wear OS 4 is based on Android 13 and brings a host of new features and enhancements. Users can now restore and back up their smartwatch content, a feature that was long time coming. This will allow users to easily switch from their old smartwatch without requiring to set up from scratch.

Wear OS 4 also brings better battery optimisation and improved accessibility features, including a more reliable speech-to-text engine.

There are more first-party apps now, and enhanced third-party apps. Google announced Gmail and Calendar will be coming to Wear OS later this year. Users can respond to emails, browse their inbox, set RSVP, and complete tasks, and more.

Furthermore, third-party apps like WhatsApp and Spotify will have a more fleshed out app. Users will be able to reply to messages, and browse recent chats. Spotify is adding tiles to play new podcast episodes, play music on loop, and curate a selection of songs based on the recommendation engine.

Google has also made changes to the Watch Face format. Developers can now create analog, digital, and other complex designs without a hurdle. End users will also be to enjoy unlimited customisations with an upcoming Editor.

Wear OS 4: Availability

Wear OS 4 has been released as a developer preview for now, with a stable version slated for later this year. The smartwatch OS is expected to debut with the next iteration of the Google Pixel Watch and the Samsung Galaxy Watch.