Google Announces New Android 11-Based Wear OS Update for This Autumn

Google has detailed the big improvements coming to Wear OS for Android smartwatches in the future. These improvements will be part of an update that will roll out this autumn, and it will bring improved performance and a simplified pairing process. The new Wear OS update will also bring support for Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 4100 and Snapdragon Wear 4100+ platforms. The tech giant also confirmed that the new Wear OS update was based on the new Android 11 software. It is also set to bring a new ‘handwash timer' to keep up with good hygiene during these unprecedented times.

As part of its #11weeksofAndroid series, Google detailed some of the new things coming with the next Wear OS update announced for this autumn, in a blog post. The update will include faster app startup time, with the tech giant claiming that there will be up to 20 percent speed improvement. Google is also looking to make the pairing process easier and is bringing improvements to SysUI for more intuitive controls to manage different watch modes and workouts. Details regarding how the pairing process will get easier haven't been revealed yet. The update will also look to improve support for LTE connectivity

As mentioned, the new Wear OS update will also bring support for the freshly launched Qualcomm Snapdragon 4100 and Snapdragon Wear 4100+ platforms. These new platforms were announced last month, and boast of up to 85 percent faster performance and up to 25 percent lesser power consumption, compared to the Snapdragon Wear 3100 platform.

Google also confirmed to XDA Developers that the new update is based on Android 11, a big jump, as the current Wear OS software is still based on Android 9 Pie. The new Wear OS will bring new features like the 20-second handwash timer, and a new weather interface that is easier to read, and gives an hourly breakdown of the weather to help you plan ahead and provide information about important weather alerts in your area.

In order to make it easier for developers to make wearable apps, Google will also be making improvements to Android Studio, Kotlin, and Jetpack libraries. It has also released the Androidx.wear 1.1.0 Release Candidate build to enable easy building and testing of wearable apps.

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Tasneem Akolawala Email Tasneem Tasneem Akolawala is a Senior Reporter for Gadgets 360. Her reporting expertise encompasses smartphones, wearables, apps, social media, and the overall tech industry. She reports out of Mumbai, and also writes about the ups and downs in the Indian telecom sector. Tasneem can be reached on Twitter at @MuteRiot, and leads, tips, and releases can be sent to tasneema@ndtv.com. More