Custom third-party tiles will soon carry the operating system

There are many reasons why Google Wear OS like a smartwatch the platform is so frustrating. It doesn’t have the advanced health features you see from other wearable device makers, almost every available watch still relies on outdated chips, and historically Google hasn’t been the best at delivering updates. in right time. Recent attempts to correct everything that has been encouraging, but still pretty one minor. However, an Android developer Blog note that third-party tiles are coming to Wear OS, and for once I’m excited about the possibilities.

Google introduced Tiles back in 2019 in one of the most important updates to the Wear operating system Platform. The shotcapable widgets were, at this point, long overdue, considering that Samsung had been offering something similar for years. The only problem was you were limited to Google’s own tiles and these were just The best. It was a slightly better experience, but which lagged behind the competition.

Open Tiles to third the parties are great on two levels. First of all, this will allow you to swap a Google thumbnail for a better your favorite app. Google Fit? No, Thank you. Ideally you get a Strava tile or something a little less basic. Of course, that would depend on those companies paying attention to Wear OS again. This brings me to my second point: Allowing developers to create their own tiles could inspire them to build for the Wear OS platform.

For a while, one of Wear OS’s few strengths over Samsung’s Tizen operating system was a more robust app ecosystem. And then, the competing platforms started to reduce this lead. Spotify has a standalone deal with Garmin and Samsung, but on Wear OS it’s still a glorified remote. Hell, even Google put Wear OS in second position when he created a YouTube Music app for the Apple Watch first. It was in October, and here we are in March 2021 with no sign of a Wear OS version. Why shOld developers prioritize Wear OS when Google won’t?

If customized Tiles is generating increased interest in Wear OS and Google is developing this third-party ecosystem, then Wear OS might have a fighting chance. WWe still haven’t seen how Wear OS will perform on a Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 4100/4100 + SoC-powered watch. Unlike Apple’s and Samsung’s offerings, Wear OS watches used old processors. Right now, only the Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 3 has the latest chip, and while Mobvoi watches are good, it’s not exactly the most prominent smartwatch brand.

However, the jump from the 3100 chip – which is currently in most Wear OS watches – to the 4100 chip seems to be more substantial than the jump from the 2100 to the 3100. It promises 85% faster performance, 25% more battery, and better LTE connectivity – all of which could enable more creative experiences on your wrist.

Then there’s the fact that Google recently closed its acquisition of Fitbit. While the two companies will operate separately – for now – we’ve already seen Google Assistant coming to Fitbit watches. It is not excluded that the know-how of Fitbit finds its way into Wear OS.

Maybe that’s why we’ve heard rumors that Samsung is considering abandon its proprietary software Tizen OS for Wear OS. If even a piece of this is true, it would indicate that Google has real plans for its most overlooked platform. It’s certainly not possible that Samsung will simply abandon all of the advanced health features it introduced with the Galaxy Watch 3 if Wear OS couldn’t support the transition. (Currently, the best Wear OS watches can do is monitor your heart rate.Some have built-in GPS.)

There is a chance that even with a custom TIslands, the developers won’t commit because they don’t think it’s worth it. Right now, Custom Tthe files are in alpha testing via the Jetpacks tile library, and Google said the new options be available to users later this spring when it ‘rolls out'[s] the update of the corresponding Wear OS platform. A lot of things must be going right, but for the first time in a long time, it doesn’t look like a total disaster for Wear OS.