With Google’s annual I/O developer conference just weeks away, the company has started dropping tantalizing hints about major updates coming to two of its major operating systems: Wear OS and Android TV.
In unveiling a significant portion of the I/O 2024 conference schedule this week, Google included sessions that appear to confirm the imminent launch of Wear OS 5 for smartwatches and a new update to the Android TV platform.
A session titled “The Future of Wear OS” has a description that leaves little doubt that Wear OS 5 will be announced and detailed at the I/O conference. “ In this presentation, we’ll learn about new features in Wear OS 5. This includes advancements in the watch face format, and how to design and build for a growing range of device sizes ” says the session overview.
Wear OS 5 could come to the Pixel Watch 3
We already knew that Wear OS 5 was in the works based on Android 14, but this is Google’s first direct confirmation that the next generation of its wearable platform is ready. Improved watch face functionality and support for different device sizes could prove particularly importantas Google is rumored to be working on a larger 45mm variant of the Pixel Watch 3.
Meanwhile, another session indicates that a major platform update will also be available soon for Google’s TV operating system. “ Learn about the new user experience improvements in Google TV and the latest additions to the upcoming Android TV OS platform update “, we can read in its description.
The last major Android TV release was Android 12 in 2021, with Android TV 13 never materializing after Google opted to go straight to Android 14 for that platform last year. It therefore seems likely that this mysterious “ next update of the Android TV OS platform » refers to a new version based on Android 14.
Google has yet to provide specific details on what Wear OS 5 or the new version of Android TV will entail in terms of new features, but the company is expected to reveal more as early as May 14, when its Google I/O conference.