Google just dropped a new developer preview on us, only this time it’s not for phones. Instead, their rebranded wearables platform, Wear OS, is getting updated to Android P.
For now, Google is only making this first Android P Wear OS preview available to the Huawei Watch 2 and Huawei Watch 2 Classic. If you own either and want to give it a spin, you’ll find the files and setup instructions right here.
In this Android P Wear OS preview, the update is supposed to introduce “Android P platform features to wearables.” The list of standout features isn’t jumping at me just yet, but here are a few of the details that Google provided:
- Dark UI system theme: This actually showed up in a recent update, but it becomes the default in Android P. Google hopes this should “improve the glanceability for wear apps.”
- Limited background activity: Apps no longer run in the background unless your watch is on a charger. The only exception is watch faces and complications that are currently selected. Google says that Wear OS is going “further with Android’s app standby feature than some other form factors.” I guess we’ll see how that plays with your app-loaded watches.
- Turning off radios when off body: When you take your watch off, Wear OS will now try to turn off Bluetooth, WiFi, and cellular radios to improve power consumption and extend battery life.
- WiFi off when Bluetooth is disconnected: When disconnected from Bluetooth, your watch will no longer automatically switch and connect to WiFi. Like the previous bullet, this is for power consumption improvement.
We’re working on getting this up and running right now, so stay tuned. We will update this should we find more goodies.
Wear OS Preview 1: Release Notes
I thought Wear “O” was great, but I’m even more excited for Wear “P”.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/721bbdaf4e3dcd62a22b9f46e31e89ebb6aaad21d10844713ca90214d2f48b3c.gif
Well hello there Andro….umm… Wear OS…
https://78.media.tumblr.com/05b3d00e741fa5365f06d4e12897434c/tumblr_ovo7ybkJUd1w8qokno1_500.gif
“WiFi off when Bluetooth is disconnected: When disconnected from Bluetooth, your watch will no longer automatically switch and connect to WiFi. Like the previous bullet, this is for power consumption improvement.”
Sorry, what? This is when WiFi is handy, for when you’re out of range of bluetooth (like when I go down the hall at work and leave my phone on my desk, I still get notifications even though I’m 100 yds from my phone).
“automatically”
Surely this will be a toggle.
I’m with you on that. Might as well turn off the wifi feature altogether
On another website: Android P will also automatically disable Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and any cellular radios when your watch has been off your wrist for “an extended period of time.”
Kinda with you here… that was pretty much the best part of WiFi even being a thing on these watches. If your phone is nearby, you’re best off with Bluetooth LE, but if say your phone is on a table, you walk out of the room, out of the work area into a greater area of an office building, etc… it’s been great to know that the watch will auto-slip into wifi connection without me doing anything or thinking about it, just knowing that it’ll stay ‘connected’ with what’s going on with the phone and notifications and stuff.
To potentially lose that if we actually want it (why not toggilize the various options/needs?) is kind of disappointing
With what I’ve seen about Android P, I’m actually really happy that my 360 g2 will never get it, and my s8+ will likely never get it. It seems like a big step in the absolutely wrong direction.
I can’t believe that google has chosen to release the dev preview on the Huawei Watches instead of their own LG Watches that they helped design
That’s exactly my reaction when I read this! What gives? The LG Watch was the first to Oreo… and you’d assume the first to P. Maybe it’s still to come?