Wear OS gets smarter notifications, longer battery life with new update

Photo: OnePlus

At Mobile World Congress 2024, Google unveiled a significant update for Wear OS that focuses on improving performance and battery life, particularly in handling notifications.

Since 2018, Wear OS watches have utilized two processors: an application processor (AP) for demanding tasks and a low-power co-processor (MCU) for simpler functions like step counting. This update allows wearable manufacturers to delegate notification processing to the MCU, including reading, dismissing, and sending quick replies.

This new functionality debuts on the newly announced OnePlus Watch 2. Bjorn Kilburn, vice president of Wear OS by Google, assures other companies will follow suit. 

"The OnePlus Watch 2 is the first Wear OS device to implement the hybrid interface for bridged notifications, enabling the user to view and dismiss notifications on the MCU without waking up the AP. This allows the high-performance AP to stay asleep more, further saving battery life," says Kilburn.

The OnePlus Watch 2 boasts a remarkable 100 hours on a single charge.

While the OnePlus Watch 2 showcases the update's potential, all future Wear OS devices can benefit from this technology, paving the way for a more efficient and power-saving smartwatch experience. Wear OS is heavily fragmented, though. However, Google continues to add small improvements to the operating system for its users.

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