The Pixel Watch 2 was introduced this week and it brings with it the brand new Put on OS 4. There must be an asterisk subsequent to “new” – we’ve already seen Put on OS on the Galaxy Watch6 sequence, although that was the closely custom-made Samsung interpretation of the brand new OS.
Anyway, the Watch 2 will run the brand new OS from the get go, unique Pixel Watches will obtain it as an replace later this yr. Within the meantime, builders can use Galaxy Watches to check their apps.
One factor they could wish to check out is the Watch Face Format – this was co-developed with Samsung and let’s builders outline the looks and habits of watch faces in XML. There is no such thing as a executable code concerned, Put on OS will deal with rendering the watch face as a substitute. Because of this devs don’t have to fret about code optimizations and battery efficiency.
Watch faces created utilizing the Watch Face Format
Put on OS 4 additionally brings model 1.2 of the Jetpack Tiles library, which incorporates new animation options and knowledge bindings – a easy method to present up-to-date knowledge in your app (e.g. the variety of steps taken at this time that mechanically updates).
Switching to new {hardware} is less complicated with cloud backup and restore. For instance, when upgrading from a Pixel Watch to a Pixel Watch 2, it is possible for you to to choose which apps and recordsdata must be transferred. Or when you’re upgrading to a brand new cellphone as a substitute, now you can switch the watch with out having to do a manufacturing facility reset.
Transferring watch knowledge to a brand new cellphone is way easier now
Observe that Put on OS 4 is predicated on Android 13 whereas Put on OS 3.5 was primarily based on Android 11. There have been a few main modifications since then (e.g. no extra 32-bit assist), so devs ought to be sure that their apps work on the brand new OS.
They will try this with the Put on OS 4 emulator, by utilizing the brand new Pixel Watch 2 (and shortly the unique Pixel Watch) in addition to different v4-compatible watches.
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