Latest news with #WearOS5.1
Android Authority
06-05-2025
- Android Authority
Samsung may be planning an unusual move for its next Galaxy Watch update
Ryan Haines / Android Authority TL;DR Samsung might skip over the One UI 7 Watch update and go straight to One UI 8 Watch. The company is reportedly planning this to match its smartwatch software with that of its phones. One UI 8 is expected to be released in beta form next month. It's unclear whether One UI 8 Watch will be based on Wear OS 6 or Wear OS 5.1. Samsung just rolled out One UI 7, and naturally, Galaxy Watch owners have been expecting an upgrade too. Samsung is currently running One UI 6 Watch based on Wear OS 5 on its smartwatches, and One UI 7 Watch based on Wear OS 5.1 would have been the next step up. However, reports now indicate that Samsung may skip over this version entirely. According to X user IposDev and SamMobile's sources, Samsung will go directly from One UI 6 Watch to One UI 8 Watch. Yes, it seems the company is skipping a numbered version update for Galaxy Watches for the very first time. The company is apparently doing this to match its smartwatch software with that of its phones. You're probably wondering why Samsung won't release One UI 7 Watch in that case, since flagship Galaxy phones are finally running One UI 7. The answer may lie in the One UI 8 release timeline. Rumor has it that the Android 16-based One UI 8 update is right around the corner. In fact, Samsung is expected to begin beta trials for the software as soon as next month, with its stable version expected to roll out to flagship Galaxy phones in August or September. That's why it makes sense for Samsung to skip straight to One UI 8 Watch, aligning it with its phones, instead of releasing a One UI 7 Watch update that would only be relevant for a few months. So if you're a Galaxy Watch owner eagerly waiting for the Wear OS 5.1 update — which, by the way, is based on Android 15 — you might need to wait a little longer. If the reports are true, Samsung may hold off on releasing Wear OS 5.1 until it launches One UI 8 Watch, which is expected to debut with the Galaxy Watch 8 in July. What would make more sense is if Samsung launched One UI 8 Watch based on Wear OS 6, which in turn should be based on Android 16. The company has teased an innovative new design and enhanced health-related features for the upcoming Galaxy Watch refresh.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Yahoo
I tested the new Pixel Watch 3 step algorithm to see if it's as 'exceptional' as Google claims
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Wear OS Weekly My weekly column focuses on the state of Wear OS, from new developments and updates to the latest apps and features we want to highlight. Google says that its Wear OS 5.1 update makes the Pixel Watch 3 and previous models much better at handling "challenging" step count tracking, like pushing a stroller or shopping cart. I put this new system to the test. Google's Wear OS 5.1 community post states that the "improved algorithm ensures your steps are counted with exceptional accuracy" in scenarios where you're not freely swinging your wrist with each step, such as walking with hiking poles or holding a phone. That can be a challenge for any smartwatch. My Pixel Watch 3 didn't receive the update for a month, but after the Pixel Watch team manually added mine to their update list, I took it out for some monotonous step tests. I rolled a cart through each grocery store aisle, hiked a trail with trekking poles, and took my dad's walker around the house — all while counting every actual step to compare. Then I closed things off by conducting a straightforward walking test using my Garmin Fenix 8, as Garmin is almost always the most accurate brand for step count. Here are the results! In past checks, my Fitbit or Pixel Watch models weren't especially accurate for step count, typically falling short of the mark. So, besides "challenging" scenarios, I wanted to see if this new algorithm would catch normal steps, too. Since many people aim to walk 10,000 steps a day, I used the Pixel Watch 3 and Garmin Fenix 8 to track 10,000 steps, tapping my simple counting app every 10 steps until I reached the 1,000 mark. I held the phone on my Garmin side to make sure the Pixel Watch 3 would swing naturally. The Pixel Watch 3 ended at 9,896 (104 steps short), while the Garmin Fenix 8 ended at 10,050 (50 steps extra). Garmin performed better, as I expected, though frankly, it usually does a little better than that. While the Pixel Watch 3 lost the step-count battle, my past Pixel Watch 2 and Fitbit Sense 2 tests have ranged from 200–300 steps off across 5,000 steps. Proportionally, the accuracy gap isn't as wide as it once was, which you can possibly attribute to the algorithm change. In another test, I walked 8,000 steps while holding a trekking pole on the same side as my Pixel Watch 3. Because you take 4–6 steps for every single motion of the walking stick, it's easy for the step count to fall well short. I was curious if the algorithm could fix that. I ended up measuring 7,857, or 143 steps short. Funnily enough, instead of the usual auto-detected walk activity, it asked me if I was using an elliptical near the end of the walk, because of the consistent rounded motion of my arm. While the results were slightly less accurate than unimpeded walking, I did notice that I was 90 steps short after 2,000 steps, but then only lost 50 steps for the remaining 6,000. I wonder if the Watch got better at figuring out my walking pattern over time. Meanwhile, my Garmin watch inflated my step count to about 8,300, which I attribute to holding my phone in that hand. Still, not the best result! As for walking with a shopping cart, I had a little bit of trouble keeping exact count of my steps while looking at deal prices and stepping around other customers. But what I can tell you is that the Pixel Watch 3 was either dead-on at counting my steps... or couldn't detect them. Mime walking with a shopping cart, and you'll see the problem. If you move forward normally, your wrists won't bend, and your arms stay fixed; there's nothing for the algorithm to work with. So I'd walk 100 steps, look down, and see that both Fitbit and Garmin had only caught a couple of dozen steps, or none at all. However, when I increased my pace, walking up and down the aisles without slowing, both watches could detect my rolling gait more easily. After 200 steps, the Watch 3 ended up with almost exactly that number added. Ultimately, the Pixel Watch 3 and Fenix 8 measured 742 and 745 steps, respectively. My actual count was at least a couple hundred steps higher, but I just appreciated that they caught anything at all. With other brands, you may only get a few hundred steps total after spending an hour in the store. The new Wear OS 5.1 algorithm also includes better wheelchair tracking and stroller tracking, though I couldn't test either. My guess is that stroller and shopping cart tracking will be pretty similar: If you drift along slowly, the Watch 3 won't catch your movement, but walk fast and there'll be enough subtle vertical motion for the algorithm to catch. As for wheelchair pushes, that's a significant and consistent motion — like walking with a trekking pole — so I'd assume the Watch 3 will catch most of them, even if it falls slightly short. I felt awkward testing my dad's walker for more than a couple of minutes — it felt too much like I was feigning a disability — but in that time, the Watch 3 had no trouble recognizing my steps. It might not do as well if you have a shuffling gait, however. Overall, even if I wouldn't say the Pixel Watch 3 quite lives up to the "exceptional accuracy" claim in Google's blog post, it does decently in scenarios where other smartwatches would struggle to register steps, including Garmin. And I certainly appreciate the effort!
