Galaxy Watch
Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 5 may get Material You customization feature (WearOS)
Material You is Google’s customization service that lets you customize your device’s background, app icons, and more. It was first introduced with Android 12 and had been improvising ever since. Recently, it has been reported with the upcoming Android 14 and One UI 6.0, Material, You will get even more customization features. Material You may benefiting smartphones and tablets, but smartwatches have been left behind.
Informatively, the recent news may make Galaxy Watch users happy as it points toward Material You features that will benefit WearOS-booted smartwatches, including Galaxy Watches. Firstly, let us tell you at present, Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 4 & 5 lineups are running on Google’s WearOS. Notably, Galaxy Watches with WearOS 3.5/One UI Watch 4.5 or later have highly customizable watch faces, but it is their limit.
In other words, WearOS-booted Galaxy Watches do have customizable watch faces but they don’t have the ability to change the UI color scheme. Besides, these watches don’t even have any app icon-related customization options in their app drawer, in the One UI Watch settings menu, or in the quick toggle panel. However, there is no need to worry, as we are expecting to see extreme customization options in the next Galaxy Watch series.
Samsung extends One UI 5.1.1 update test to other Galaxy devices
It is really disappointing not having as many customization options in One UI Watch as smartphones and tablets have. Even though Samsung’s One UI is one of the best skins for customization, still One UI Watch lacks its touch. Besides, Material You is also really good at customization, but still, in WearOS, it won’t work as well as it does in Android. Now we are expecting both companies to work on this matter and solve the issues.
Even if Google won’t improve the Material You in WearOS, we can expect newer watch customization options and an enlarged color palette from Samsung. With WearOS 4-based One UI Watch 5, Samsung will give a surprise to its Galaxy Watch users. However, we can’t say for sure at present as this information isn’t officially confirmed. So, please accept it with a pinch of salt.
Samsung is actively working on expanding the Galaxy Watch’s functionalities for users’ convenience. The company has filed a US patent for continuous atrial fibrillation detection through PPG ECG signal translation.
Many smartwatches available on the market perform atrial fibrillation (AFib) spot checks using an ECG sensor, but unfortunately, continuous AFib data is impossible without a medical monitor. A week ago, Samsung patented a plan to convert that for the forthcoming Galaxy Watch 7 by employing a generative AI model.
Initially spotted by Wareable, the US patent “System and method for continuous atrial fibrillation detection via PPG to ECG signal translation” would “translate PPG signals to corresponding ECG waveforms.”
Samsung got FDA consent for the passive detection of irregular heart rhythms. Samsung, such as Fitbit, Apple, and Withings, can use their watches to monitor irregular heart rhythms. Although this is not a diagnosis tool, It is only capable of suggesting a potential issue and requires confirmation with a proper ECG reading.
Samsung’s patented PPG-to-ECG mechanism would offer more definitive data at all times, making it more possible to catch the lead-up to serious heart conditions such as arrhythmia and heart failure. The patent describes that “conventional models” can only count on “long-term relationships” between PPG heart rhythm data and possible ECG results. Along with its GenAI models, Samsung assures that it will create a “first-order Markov relationship” between them for better accuracy.
Samsung’s patent confesses that by using generative AI, “fake information may be introduced, which affects an AFib detection result.” The giant decided to solve this by “incorporating prior knowledge in terms of probabilistic graphical models” so that it is “robust to noise,” also known as irrelevant or misleading details.
The generative AI plan of Samsung might make heart health data available to Google since it typically relies on Gemini AI.
The Korean brand ‘Samsung’ introduces smartwatches along with the software gap between promise and premium! Now, deep down, it is gearing up to expand its smart wearable family by introducing a brand new Galaxy Smartwatch lineup within the next few months.
Galaxy smartwatch enthusiasts, the giants are cooking something new for you all, as Samsung is expected to release a new Galaxy Watch lineup or at least one in the upcoming weeks. However, a premium smartwatch model might not be the answer to each query that’s holding Galaxy Watches back.
It’s possible that a premium smartwatch with a more polished design could be a blessing or a curse for the Korean giants. Samsung Galaxy Watches, such as non-classic ones, can look like playthings, whereas the software also doesn’t give an experience like a high-end One UI, which it should.
One UI Watch performance appears unexciting, and the UI can sometimes falter or even lag extremely, especially after reconnecting to a mobile device. Even after spending a lot, in the end, somehow you realize that almost every UI element and widget often feels and doesn’t look ready to use or release. Most of the things appear to be in the early access phase. In many ways, it’s reminiscent of the old Android phone experience.
Now it is expected that Samsung’s forthcoming premium Galaxy Watch could solve the external design issue and make smartwatches a bit more appealing and less playful. Also, a more premium smartwatch paired with not-so-premium software will likely accentuate the undercooked One UI/Wear OS experience.
Somewhere, premium Samsung Galaxy smartwatches have software issues such as limited applications, watch faces, and a clumsy UI holding back Galaxy watches. A premium design would only be enough until the brand improved the software experience to feel as smooth and integrated as their smartphones.
Apart from this, the Galaxy Watch 7series is next in line, which should debut at the Galaxy Unpacked event in July. It is also expected that Samsung will release a new rectangular-shaped smartwatch by the end of this year.
Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 6 series is running on Wear OS 4 onboard; now, to add a major layer of upgrade, the brand is gearing up to deliver a new update in the form of Wear OS 5.
Wear OS 5 for Galaxy Watches is under processing
The Korean giant has already started developing a new firmware version for the Galaxy Watch 6, which appears as R965USQU1BXD8. A tipster has revealed that Samsung is working on a new firmware version for the carrier-locked Galaxy Watch 6 smartwatch for the US market, leading to speculation.
This new firmware version indicates a major One UI version change, and it could be One UI Watch 6 based on Wear OS 5. On the other hand, Google has already revealed via @MatthewReiter05 that it will disclose Wear OS 5 and its features at the forthcoming Google I/O 2024 event on May 14, 2024.
A couple of months after the announcement, Wear OS 5 will probably be available in stable form, and Samsung could soon release a stable One UI Watch 6 based on that platform. However, it’s yet to be clear what new features and UI design improvements Google plans to bring with the Wear OS 5 update. It is expected to improve integration with Android-based smartphones, tablets, and TVs.