Wear OS 3 gets new Tiles, Google Keep, and Adidas Running via Assistant - The Verge

Earlier this fall, Google yet launched the Pixel Watch. It wasn’t a cleanable smartwatch, but it was a respectable archetypal effort successful a class that Google notoriously neglected for years.

Even so, it’s hard to shingle disconnected the thought that Google mightiness prematurely wantonness its revived wearable ambitions if it doesn’t bash “well enough.” This is wherefore the institution has been softly chugging distant astatine Wear OS improvements successful the background. The latest is simply a circular of “holiday” Android updates that bring new Tiles, an improved Google Keep app, and Google Assistant integration for Adidas Running.

For Tiles — Google’s moniker for smartwatch widgets — Wear OS 3 users volition beryllium capable to presumption their favourite contacts arsenic good arsenic sunrise and sunset times. The second is often included connected smartwatches, partially truthful athletes tin program their outdoorsy excursions.

Meanwhile, Google Keep volition beryllium updated aboriginal this period to look much appealing connected the wrist (and that shiny caller Pixel Watch display). That includes the quality to presumption labels and collaborators, customized backgrounds, photos, and drawings. Lastly, it’s rolling retired an Adidas Running app integration with Google Assistant implicit the adjacent week truthful that you tin usage the integer adjunct to commencement tracking a workout. That is, provided you person a Wear OS 3 ticker with Google Assistant installed, an net connection, and a compatible Android telephone with the app installed.

While the vacation transportation is tenuous, the much important happening is that Google continues to chug on with Wear OS updates, some insignificant and major. Google whitethorn person been archetypal to the smartwatch country with Android Wear successful 2014, but the level stagnated until it bought Fitbit and partnered with Samsung to make Wear OS 3. Since then, the modulation has been a spot messy, with features sometimes arriving months aboriginal than promised. See: the twelvemonth it took Google Assistant to get on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4. It’s earthy to look astatine the transition’s missteps, but it speaks volumes that Google’s continuing to marque tiny improvements. Previously, it wasn’t uncommon to spell months oregon adjacent years without important or insignificant Wear OS updates.

Right earlier the Pixel Watch launched, Google SVP of hardware Rick Osterloh told The Verge in an interview that the institution was committing to wearables for the agelong haul. Given Google’s history, that’s hard to instrumentality astatine look value. Splashy launches are easy, and you request lone look astatine Google’s graveyard to spot that.

But large moves aren’t what crook large dreams — like ambient computing — into reality. Ask immoderate marathoner: it’s the tiny continuous efforts that substance most. These vacation updates mightiness not beryllium the coolest things ever, but that mightiness beryllium a bully sign. If Google cares capable astir tiny “insignificant’” updates, possibly its imaginativeness of wearable ambient computing isn’t truthful far-fetched aft all.