Ahead of the Google I/O conference, the firm presented some information about the future version of Wear OS, which will indeed be named Wear OS 5.
In a few weeks, Google will hold the new edition of its conference for developers, Google I/O. This year, the firm is expected to particularly highlight its artificial intelligence applications, based on Gemini. However, like every year, it should also be an opportunity for the firm to unveil the new versions of its different operating systems: Android, Google TV or Wear OS.
As for connected watches, Google has already shared the program for its Google I/O by updating its site dedicated to the event. The opportunity to discover a presentation called “Building the future of Wear OS» which will be held both in person and available on video after the event. This presentation is hosted by Garan Jenkins, developer relations manager, and his description already allows us to know a little more about the next version of Wear OS:
In this presentation, we’ll learn about new features in Wear OS 5. This includes advancements in the Watch Face form factor and how to design and build for a growing range of device sizes.
Google explicitly cites that the next version of Wear OS will indeed be Wear OS 5. It must be said that Wear OS 3 was presented in 2021, that Wear OS 3.5 was launched in 2022 and that Wear OS 4 was released in 2023. We would have We could therefore expect a minor update to Wear OS 4.5 this year, but Google seems to have put enough resources into making this new iteration a major update to present it as “Wear OS 5“.
An update with new features for the dials
Among the few new features already announced, we know that the Watch Faces – the dials – will be at the heart of the new features. As a reminder, this was already the case last year with the Watch Face Format, allowing developers to create new watch faces much more simply. For Wear OS 5, we particularly expect the integration of Material You and the dial color themes used in the rest of the watch menus.
Logically, Wear OS 5 should first appear on the future Google Pixel Watch 3, expected in the fall. The operating system is also now used on watches from several manufacturers, such as Samsung with the Galaxy Watch, OnePlus with the OnePlus Watch 2 or Xiaomi with the Xiaomi Watch 2 and the Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro.