Google is bringing Wear OS 4 to its first Pixel Watch. In an announcement on Tuesday, Google says the update will start rolling out today and continue “over the coming weeks,” depending on your carrier and device.
Google is rolling out Wear OS 4 to the original Pixel Watch
The first-gen Pixel Watch will get most of the features in Wear OS 4.
The first-gen Pixel Watch will get most of the features in Wear OS 4.
Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
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The Wear OS 4 update will bring several new features to the Pixel Watch, including the Google Calendar app, better accessibility features, enhanced notifications, and the new Safety Check feature that will prompt you to confirm whether you’re safe after a specified period of time. If you don’t respond, the watch will automatically notify your emergency contacts.
Wear OS 4 also introduces the ability to transfer your Pixel Watch data to a new phone without a factory reset as well as a way to back up your data and settings from your Pixel Watch when you’re ready to upgrade to a new one.
However, one Wear OS 4 feature Google doesn’t mention in its announcement is Safety Signal, which is available with the Pixel Watch 2 through a Fitbit Premium subscription. This feature lets you connect your Pixel Watch to an LTE network to enable emergency features even if you don’t have a carrier plan. It doesn’t seem like the original Pixel Watch will support Safety Signal, as Google doesn’t list it as a compatible feature on its support page.
Google took the wraps off the $349.99 Pixel Watch 2 during its product launch event earlier this month, offering a new processor, more sensors, and better battery life when compared to its predecessor. The Pixel Watch 2 also charges faster than the original watch, which now has a slower estimated charging speed than before, following a firmware update.
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