Google releases Wear OS 5 Developer Preview with new features and improved battery life

Wear OS 5 brings several battery life enhancements, such as the optimization for marathon tracking, which reduces power consumption by 20% compared to Wear OS 4. A new version of Watch Face Format needs less battery power and brings additional tools, like the ability to show the current weather and your progress toward goals even after you reach your target. For runners, there are advanced metrics like ground contact time and vertical oscillation. Plus, users now have the option to export data that is more than 30 days old from Google Health Connect.

Also included are JetPack Compose for Wear OS version 1.3 with display optimization tools like SwipeToReveal and expandable items and JetPack Tiles Library 1.4, making it easier to iterate while developing. Google has yet to announce the release date of Wear OS 5. However, it will likely come later this year with the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Watch7 and the Google Pixel Watch 3. The rollout to other models could progress slowly; for example, the recently revealed Ticwatch Pro 5 Enduro is running WearOS 3.