Gboard in Wear OS
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Multilanguage support! I use 50/50 Norwegian and English, so this is great!
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A decent update to Gboard on WearOS.
In the release notes it mentions they are looking forward to bringing us more news about WearOS in 2021.
Very strong hints that WearOS will get some love at Google I/O this year.
Google’s acquisition of Fitbit approved.
Strong rumours of a Pixel Watch (boosted by possible in house SoC).
For all those who thought WearOS was a dead donkey… “I bite my thumb at thee!”
I strongly believe WearOS has a long and prosperous future, it just needs a bit of love and attention and it has huge potential to be truely great.
(And I also believe that the work that Suunto has put into the S7 has helped as it has possibly shown Google and others just how good WearOS can be when implemented properly!)But, back to the original topic… WOO YEAH! NEW KEYBOARD! (but seriously, it is actually really nice!)
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@olymay said in Gboard in Wear OS:
(And I also believe that the work that Suunto has put into the S7 has helped as it has possibly shown Google and others just how good WearOS can be when implemented properly!)
I believe it is mostly because of upcoming Samsung WearOS smartwatches, if rumors are to be believed. Especially after their cooperation improved a bit.
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@metalmi said in Gboard in Wear OS:
I believe it is mostly because of upcoming Samsung WearOS smartwatches, if rumors are to be believed. Especially after their cooperation improved a bit.
If true (it’s still only a rumour), then it will definitely help. But the S7 was released over a year ago and has taken WearOS from being “meh” to something worth paying attention to. I strongly believe it is head and shoulders the best WearOS device on the market (I just wish more review sites would include in their top 10s).
There will undoubtedly be a number of factors to Google’s reinvigorated interest in WearOS, but I am sure the S7 is one of them.
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But what google really need to do is stop support to any chip without a low power coprocessor and to start redesigning wear os to properly use the low power coprocessor.
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@jamie-bg said in Gboard in Wear OS:
But what google really need to do is stop support to any chip without a low power coprocessor and to start redesigning wear os to properly use the low power coprocessor.
THIS!!!
Although stopping support is a little harsh, as the customer should not pay the price of lazy companies.
Instead, maybe they force new watches to use the co-processor?Maybe if they introduce their own SoC it could be a game changer (crosses all fingers and toes!)
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@olymay said in Gboard in Wear OS:
Although stopping support is a little harsh, as the customer should not pay the price of lazy companies.
Just no more updates to wear os - most of the watches with non-low power coprocessors are pretty old models, so is it really that harsh. Other than TWP3 most are +2 years old and how long do your continue to support. It will not stop their ability to be used.
Instead, maybe they force new watches to use the co-processor?
Worry about the size of the software pakage and potential development issues if you are having to effectively always write in two options for most of your programming i.e. what chip - ok its 2100 so do this, ok its 3100 so do this etc.
Maybe if they introduce their own SoC it could be a game changer (crosses all fingers and toes!)
Makes far more sense to phase out older models and insist all new ones have to be on low power coprocessor chips.
I suppose they could start developing code to so that sensor support etc does check to see whether it can use low power coprocessor or not…But like the S7 that mainly benefits tracking - would love to see a boost to normal operation battery life, as its such a factor for a lot of people and would give wear os an undeniable edge to all smart watches. -
@jamie-bg That’s a fair point. But one of my big annoyances with Android is the lack of support from Google and OEMs. Pixel phones should be supported for four years and other devices should be three.
It’s one of the big advantages Apple have over Android (I know Apple have fewer devices etc, but Google does have the Pixel).But I get your point that maybe this is drastic action needed in order to force a shift in attitude towards WearOS and associated hardware.
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Gboard works surprisingly well on the small Watch face…already decided to prefer it over Handwriting (which always seemed to scroll far too slowly, not sure I use it properly?).
Few test messages and can swipe through pretty much as quickly and accurately as I can on my phone - which makes the Watch that little bit more usable.
One question, is there any way of doing accurate cursor control? I can see how I can tap in to place and delete words etc, but on the phone a long hold on Space changes to accurate cursor control. Here it just goes to Gboard setting. Would seem to make more sense to carry over the UX?
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@nigel-taylor-0
Been a massive improvement in handwriting the last time I used it, it was 3x quicker and much more usuable.
Don’t know of a cursor control, but that is cause I generally use voice dictation. -
Which messaging app are you guys using?
I tried Wear Messages and for some reason whatsapp messages with pics are not showing the pics. Then I tried Informer but didn’t like it.
Too bad Wear OS is missing an official whatsapp app. -
@jantikainen
texts and whatsapps.
Seldom initiate whatsapp, so no issues there (and notifications from whatsapp should include pictures).However you could sideload Malcom Bryants wear messaging app which would allow you to initiate whatsapp messages.
Texts you can initiate through the messages app on your watch.
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It’s confirmed now
What to expect from the Galaxy Watch 4 as Samsung moves to Wear OS -
@metalmi Samsung and Google working together (again!)… Sound good!
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@metalmi The really interesting part is why this move and why now.
not a lot to go on but some susupect it may be due to a Korean app used by 95% of the population, which the Dev refuses to create for Tizen but would be prepared to adapt the android one for wear os… -
@jamie-bg I suspect it is a combination of many things. I hear the code for Tizen is a security mess. Also, now that Google allows skinning of WearOS, they could make a watch that looks very similar to Tizen. I expect many normal customers might not even notice the underlying OS has changed. Not to mention it must be cheaper to use WearOS in the long run than developing their own.
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From the Google I/O program: “Come explore the latest beta for Android 12, Jetpack Compose updates, a brand new Wear version, and so much more!”
Should we expect a major OS update coming to the Suunto 7?
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@aeroild we should not expect anything not announced
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These are announcements to developers, the users will see features later in the year.
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@aeroild
Everything I have read in the reports suggests that this is largely what we already have i.e. using the the low copro to drive the sensors etc.
Though the difference is that this would be embedded into wear os so that all watches using a chip with a low power copro would be able to take advantage of this.
Even if this is the minimum we get it will still give a massive overall boost to the wear os platform.What is annoying is how Samsung and google are taking the credit for this, when its Suunto leading the way.
As stated Google needs to get tougher on manufacturers and insist on 1GB of ram and the use of a chip with a low power copro and redesign wear os code to take full advantage of it.
