Wear OS 4 could let you swap wearables between phones without a reset
Smartwatches have become so good over the past few years. And some of the best options from Apple and Samsung strive to provide a seamless experience while also packing in as many features as humanly possible. But one thing that's remained perplexing is the need to reset the wearable if you're trying to sync it to a new device. This is a characteristic of most wearables out on the market today, and to be frank, it's quite annoying, especially in this age. But it looks like that could all change with the introduction of Samsung's One UI Watch 5 based on Wear OS 4.
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Source: 9to5Google
According to 9to5Google, Samsung One UI Watch 5 beta gives Galaxy Watch users the ability to transfer the wearable to a new smartphone without having to wipe everything out on the watch and start fresh. If unfamiliar, wearables are typically bonded to a smartphone or device, requiring users to reset the device when pairing it with a new phone. As you can imagine, this isn't an ideal scenario, especially if you're the same user and just upgrading to a new phone or maybe getting a watch set up on a replacement device.
To be frank, the experience is quite jarring, considering how far things have progressed with data transfers and multi-device setups, it's just one of those things that really makes you scratch your head. As far as how the transfer process works, users will be prompted to confirm that the Google account associated with the watch is the same one that's on the phone. Once confirmed, users can then transfer the watch to the new handset without issue.
With this new feature, users will be able to seamlessly transfer apps, watch faces and other important details on their smartwatch when moving or connecting to a new phone. For now, this feature looks to be limited to compatible Galaxy Watches, and it's unclear whether this will be available for other Wear OS 4 wearables. Despite being based on Google's Wear OS 4, there's always a chance that this could be exclusive to Samsung products. Google has yet to release a beta of Wear OS 4 for its Pixel Watch or other devices.
Source: Samsung
In contrast, the Samsung One UI Watch 5 beta went live a couple of days ago and is now available to those in the United States and South Korea. For the most part, the update brings a lot to the table in terms of new features that focus on three cores: health, wellness, and safety. Samsung has introduced a new Personalized Heart Rate Zone, a feature that will provide real-time tracking and analysis data during runs. The update also features an interval training program that will provide up to five different intensity levels.
Source: Samsung
While fitness is an important part of health, so is rest. The Samsung Health app is also getting a few new features in One UI Watch 5, with new watch faces that can show more details about one's sleep, along with a new Sleep Insight UI that will deliver data more succinctly, with metrics like sleep score, sleep phases, snoring hours, and blood oxygen levels. Samsung will also have some exclusive features for Galaxy Pro watch users, like enabling GPX file downloads using the Samsung Health app and also adding hiking and cycling routes.
Source: Samsung
And, of course, safety is always key, so Samsung is turning on Fall Detection by default for some users while also adding in new SOS features like location relay, medical information, and more. For the most part, it looks like Samsung is getting more aggressive in the wearable space, trying to set itself apart from, not only the Wear OS pack but also the watchOS crowd as well. While the beta does give us a small glimpse of what's to come, there's more than likely going to be more revealed during Samsung's next Galaxy Unpacked event, which is set to take place in late July.
Source: XDA Developers
