While Samsung’s new Wear OS 3-powered smartwatches have dominated today’s smartwatch headlines, Google wants you to know that it hasn’t forgotten about smartwatches running Wear OS 2.There will be updates to Wear OS 3 as well as Google Pay, Messages, and other third-party apps for current devices.
Start by adding 16 new countries to Google Pay’s support for contactless payments from smartwatches.Prior to this change, smartwatches in these countries were able to use Google Pay, but smartphones were not.
Following that, Google says that its Messages Wear OS app will have improved performance, allowing you to use it without having to remove your smartphone from your pocket.They will sync with your phone so that everything that happens on your wrist will be updated on your phone when you reach for it.
Another “new experience” is coming from third-party apps such as Calm and Komoot as well as Period Tracker, Sleep Cycle and Spotify/Strava.Tiles, Google’s glanceable widgets that provide quick tidbits of information from supported apps, will be supported by “many” of these apps, according to Google.
These features will be available on Google’s Wear OS 3 watches, as well as the existing Wear OS 2 watches.A new YouTube Music app, with offline download support, and a redesigned Google Maps app will also be available.
As well as new tiles, new apps are on the way. These include Calm, Komoot, Sleep Cycle, Spotify, and Strava
