Wear OS 3.0 version of the Google Play Store starts arriving on existing Wear OS smartwatches

Google has not revealed everything that its new Wear OS platform has to offer, but it has started to distribute a core part of it to Wear OS 2.x smartwatches. So far, Google has only teased Wear OS 3.0 at I/O 2021, with Samsung expanding upon some of its features in its One UI Watch presentation. Google has released a Wear OS 3.0 emulator through Android Studio Beta though, confirming that the new OS is based on Android 11.

While Google has not announced anything relating to a Play Store refresh on Wear OS, u/alehel has shared multiple screenshots of the redesign running on a Suunto 7. According to one screenshot, Google has called the new build '26.0.65-25', up from the 25.9.17-25 currently running on our TicWatch Pro 3.

Based on the screenshots that u/alehel has shared, Google has separated menus into dedicated pill-shaped cards, improving legibility, in our opinion. The contrast between the grey cards and black background should also minimise accidental taps. Currently, Google separates menus and apps with thin lines, which are difficult to discern from the Play Store's black background.

Unfortunately, Google continues to leave consumers and its partners in the dark about Wear OS 3.0 backwards compatibility. The release of a Wear OS 3.0-inspired Google Play Store to the Suunto 7, a smartwatch with Qualcomm's older Snapdragon Wear 3100 chipset, suggests that Google could port more apps to Wear OS 2.x. However, it is unclear if any existing smartwatches will receive Wear OS 3.0.

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