Google's Wear OS 6 Brings Gemini and Other Upgrades to the Wrist
Android watches are getting a glow-up and an AI upgrade with Wear OS 6. Google teased its latest wearable operating system at its Android Show, a prequel to Google I/O, the annual developers conference set for May 20 in Mountain View.
Among the most noticeable upgrades is a refreshed user interface which Google is calling Material 3 Expressive (also coming to Android phones). The visual tweaks are subtle, but elevate the watch navigation with customized color themes, smoother transitions and more fluid animations that fully take advantage of the round screen on most Android watches.
Notification bubbles, for example, now subtly resize and reshape as they move along the curve of the watch face, hugging the screen without cutting off content. The color scheme you choose is also adaptable and syncs across other Google apps, creating a consistent (and more personalized) visual identity. Aside from the pretty visuals, the redesign seems to be more about improving legibility and fluidity, flexing the higher screen refresh rates on the newer watches.
Also getting the spotlight: Gemini. Google's AI assistant is making its way to the wrist. The company says Gemini on Wear OS 6 will handle natural language commands more fluidly without having to resort to robotic phrasing or repeating commands multiple times. In practice, that could mean faster, more conversational and contextual help with everyday tasks like checking schedules, responding to messages or even referencing previous conversations. Gemini on Wear OS processes requests in the cloud, which means it still relies on an internet connection (via phone, Wi-Fi or LTE), but the idea is that you'll be able to get more done without pulling out your phone.
But perhaps the most impactful upgrade is one that got less fanfare: improved battery life. Google says Wear OS 6 includes power optimizations that improve performance and battery life by up to 10% over the previous version. That might not sound like much, but with some Android watches still struggling to make it through a full 24 hours, even incremental gains count.
Though there'll be more to unpack after I/O, this preview proves that Google is bringing Wear OS in line with its broader design ecosystem, and that Gemini (AI in general) is set to become a core part of the smartwatch experience. Google says the update will begin rolling out later this summer, starting with its own Pixel Watch and Samsung's Galaxy Watch.
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