We heard quite a bit more about the upcoming Wear OS 5 update at Google I/O 2024 earlier this month, and now there are signs that Samsung is preparing the software refresh to be ready in time for the launch of the Galaxy Watch 7 in July.
As per @theordysm on X (formerly Twitter), via 9to5Mac, signs of a beta version of One UI Watch 6 have popped up on the official Samsung forums. That suggests One UI Watch 6 – running Wear OS 5 underneath – isn't far off.
Samsung Galaxy smartwatches, like the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6, have tended to be first in line for Wear OS updates. That might change as Google's own range of Pixel smartwatches becomes more established, but it hasn't so far.
What we don't get from this leak is any indication of when the One UI Watch 6 beta might launch, but it shouldn't be long now. That would mean a month or two of testing before the rumored July 10 launch of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7.
What to expect
We've previously heard talk that Samsung is at the forefront of Wear OS 5 development, and we've long expected the software update to roll out at some point during 2024 after the Wear OS 4 upgrade started rolling out in 2023.
At Google I/O 2024 we got a few indications of what to expect with this next update. First up is better battery life, which is always welcome on smartwatches – apparently up to 20% less battery is used when running a marathon with the help of GPS.
Then there are new metrics for runners to make use of, including Ground Contact Time, Stride Length, Vertical Oscillation, and Vertical Ratio (those are similar to the metrics you can access on the best Apple Watches).
Refinements to watch face customizations are also on the way, as well as improved data sharing with Google Health Connect – so other apps on your phone will be able to dig deeper into the stats being collected by your smartwatch.
You might also like
