As part of today’s Android 16 announcement, a week ahead of Google’s I/O conference, the firm has some big news for smartwatch users.
The big design overhaul coming in Android 16, called Material 3 Expressive, is coming to wearables with Wear OS 6.
It’s a very different look and feel for Google’s operating system, which it describes as “emotional UX”, making everything “more fluid, personal and glanceable”.
Android 16 features for phones aren’t a given for Google-powered smartwatches, but it’s nice to see this one rolling out across the different form factors.
One of the problems with matching its phones and watches (as well as third-party devices) is the circular display, but Material 3 Expressive has been designed with this in mind.
On Wear OS 6, it features scrolling animations that trace the curvature of the display, which Google says gives you a sense of depth to make information more accessible.
“We’ve also refreshed daily experiences like using the pin pad and controlling media with motion and responsive feedback,” said Google.
Other Material 3 Expressive elements that will benefit the likes of the Pixel Watch 3 include shape-morphing elements that adapt to the smaller screen size and dynamic colour-theming, which applies to the entire system.
Furthermore, glanceable buttons “stretch to hug the display” making them more space-efficient and tappable. Tiles are also more space-efficient and engaging.
It’s all about making everything more intuitive and quicker.
As well as the new look, Google says that Wear OS 6 bring performance improvements. Specifically, and gladly, it’s more power efficient, so it can deliver up to 10% longer battery life than before.
Google has also confirmed that Gemini is coming to Wear OS, along with a lot of other devices.
These are just part of the enhancements coming in Wear OS 6, which Google says you’ll be able to try first on Pixel devices later this year – including, we can assume, the Pixel Watch 4.
