Wear OS
Google improves text-to-speech (TTS) engine for Wear OS 4 devices
Google‘s Wear OS 4 devices are getting a new text-to-speech (TTS) engine, which promises to be faster and more reliable than the previous version. The new TTS engine is designed to work well on low-memory devices, such as the Pixel Watch and the Galaxy Watch 6, which have only 2 GB of RAM.
The new TTS engine of Wear OS 4 supports over 50 languages, with seven of them pre-loaded in the system image including English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Japanese, and Mandarin Chinese. Users can also download other languages when they connect their watch to Wi-Fi and charge it.
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According to the information (via 9to5Google), the new TTS engine can synthesize speech in about 10 seconds after the device is booted, and apps can pre-load it if they need immediate access. The speed improvement is due to the use of smaller and more efficient machine learning (ML) models for prosody.
The new TTS engine can be integrated into Wear OS apps using the same Android APIs as before. It can be used for various purposes, such as accessibility services, exercise coaching, navigation, and reading-aloud notifications. However, Google mentioned that the TTS engine is not meant for long texts, such as articles or podcasts.
Google starts rolling out the Wear OS 5 update to the Pixel Watch and Pixel Watch 2. The major upgrade comes with plenty of new features, improved function, and stability. It comes right after Samsung confirmed the delay in the One UI 6 Watch.
The company announced that the original Pixel Watch (1st-gen) and Pixel Watch 2 smartwatches running Wear OS 3.5 or Wear OS 4 will receive the September 2024 software update with the Wear OS 5 upgrade starting September 24.
Google’s September 2024 software debuts Wear OS 5 on Pixel Watch and Pixel Watch 2. The major update includes new features, numerous bug fixes, and performance updates for Google Pixel Watch users.
Apart from this, app updates via the Google Play Store will be available for the original Pixel Watch and Pixel Watch 2 to obtain the grid-view app launcher, improved Camera controls, and the Pixel Recorder functionality.
Samsung debuted the Galaxy Watch 7 with Wear OS 5-based One UI 6 Watch. The company has been running a Beta Program of the latest software. However, the Stable rollout hasn’t yet started due to some work left in the optimization phase.
Older Galaxy Watch users could get the update in October or November. The same case with One UI 7 for Galaxy phones. Samsung hasn’t yet started the Beta Program and we are heading towards the Developer Conference taking place on October 3rd.
Samsung is currently testing the Wear OS 5-based One UI 6 Watch Beta on Galaxy smartwatches. Meanwhile, a new report reveals that Google is working on Wear OS 5.1, which will be based on Android 15.
According to information via Android Authority, Wear OS 5.1 is already in the testing phase as new test builds are spotted. These builds are based on Android 15, different from the current Wear OS 5 based on Android 14.
Usually, Wear OS updates don’t match perfectly with Android updates. For example, Wear OS 3 released in May 2021 was based on Android 11 from the previous year. Similarly, Wear OS 4 came out in May 2023 and was based on Android 13. The latest version Wear OS 5 announced this year and is based on last year’s Android 14.
Now, it looks like Google might be changing the pattern of these updates. The spotted test builds of Wear OS 5.1 are based on Android 15, suggesting that Google could be separating Wear OS versions from the Android versions they are based on. The company might be integrating features with the new version.
The testing builds of Wear OS 5.1 have different build versions compared to Wear OS 5.0, indicating that Google is developing a new Wear OS iteration.
Although we don’t yet know what new features Wear OS 5.1 will include, it is expected that Google is planning something new for Wear OS devices. There’s even a chance that Wear OS 5.1 could be renamed to Wear OS 6.
Until any official information is released, take this news with a grain of salt. Stay tuned with us for updates.
One UI 6 Watch Beta 4 rolling out to Galaxy Watch 6, Watch 5, and Watch 4 series
Samsung has pushed a new update for the Internet Browser app for Wear OS devices with version 3.2.00.8. The new update brings new features and enhancements to provide a better browsing Galaxy Watch experience.
The new update improves the app’s performance with the Back and forward feature. This feature allows users to easily navigate through Internet Browser apps by back and forward movements.
In addition to this, the update also fixes some issues that users encountered in the previous version. Through this update, Samsung aims to provide a more reliable and efficient tool.
The installation package size of this update is around 93.19MB. Users can install the latest update through Galaxy Store >> Menu option >> Updates. Also, you can download the update through the third-party app link mentioned here.
The Samsung Internet Browser app for Wear OS offers you the best web browsing experience with Video Assistant, Dark Mode, Customized menu, Extensions such as Translator, and by protecting your privacy with Secret mode, Smart Anti-Tracking, and Smart Protection. The tiles and complication feature is also available for Galaxy Watches.
