Stable release of Wear OS 4 arrives, original Pixel Watch owners anticipate upcoming upgrade

This week marked the announcement of the eagerly anticipated Pixel Watch 2, which comes equipped with the all-new Wear OS 4. However, it's worth noting that Wear OS 4 has made its debut previously on the Galaxy Watch6 series, albeit in a heavily customized Samsung interpretation.

Stable release of Wear OS 4 arrives, original Pixel Watch owners anticipate upcoming upgrade

The Pixel Watch 2 is set to run this new operating system from the start, while original Pixel Watch owners can look forward to receiving it as an update later this year. In the interim, developers can utilize Galaxy Watches to test their applications on the new platform.

One standout feature for developers to explore is the Watch Face Format, a collaborative effort between Google and Samsung. This feature allows developers to define the appearance and behavior of watch faces using XML, eliminating the need for executable code. Wear OS will handle the rendering of watch faces, relieving developers of concerns about code optimization and battery performance.

Wear OS 4 also introduces version 1.2 of the Jetpack Tiles library, offering new animation features and data bindings. This simplifies the process of displaying up-to-date data in apps, such as tracking the number of steps taken throughout the day, which will automatically update.

The transition to new hardware is made smoother with cloud backup and restore functionality. When upgrading from a Pixel Watch to a Pixel Watch 2, users can selectively transfer apps and files of their choice. Moreover, if you're upgrading to a new phone, you can transfer your watch without the need for a factory reset, streamlining the process.

It's essential to note that Wear OS 4 is based on Android 13, a significant shift from Wear OS 3.5, which was based on Android 11. Developers should ensure that their apps are compatible with the new operating system, which no longer supports 32-bit applications. They can facilitate this testing using the Wear OS 4 emulator, along with the new Pixel Watch 2 and soon, the original Pixel Watch, in addition to other devices compatible with version 4 of the platform.

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