Wear OS 2 receives a major upgrade, but several key new functions aren't included.
, by raj, 1 min reading time
Google has released a major final update to Wear 2, bringing a slew of new capabilities to owners of older Wear OS smartwatches.Only Wear 3 users will be able to utilize the new YouTube Music app and the redesigned Google Maps. But first, let's look at the new features that will be coming to older Wear OS devices.Google Pay will launch in additional countries, including Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Hong Kong, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Slovakia, Sweden, Taiwan, Ukraine, and the United Arab Emirates, according to a Google blog post.Wear OS now has an updated Messages app that allows users to respond to contacts from their wrist.Users will also be able to use the new third-party Tiles functionality, which was previously revealed. However, it appears that two intriguing new features will be exclusive to Wear 3 users.Wear 2 customers will not be able to access the new YouTube Music service, which allows for offline listening and downloading on the wrist. Worse still, the new Google Maps will not be filtered down. Spotify's Wear OS software has been upgraded to allow offline downloading, as we previously reported, and this feature will be accessible on all older Wear OS devices.However, it is perplexing that two major Google apps would be inaccessible to the company's slew of smartwatches.Wear 3 debuted this week on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 and Google has confirmed that it will only be available on two current Wear smartwatches: the Tic Watch Pro 3 and E3.In fact, Google Wear 3 represents a major reset for the company, and the new OS's advantages appear to have left fewer sophisticated gadgets in the dust.Although Google is looking ahead, this upgrade appears to be an attempt to ensure that current users are not left behind.
Tags
Blog posts
-
The oomph factor: Marc Jacobs Riley is here
-
All for the Pride: Apple will release Pride Edition.
-
Motiv Ring along with Alexa will assist to find your lost phone