Summary
- Wear OS 6 will bring some big updates, like Material 3 Expressive.
- It looks like there could also be a new “Water Lock” feature introduced.
- This was discovered in the code, but doesn’t indicate how it will differ from the current touchsceen lock.
The Pixel Watch is one of our favorite smartwatches, oozing style and offering a fantastic experience all around. And with new iterations of Wear OS, we can only hope that things will get better as more time passes. Of course, we know that Google is hard at work on Wear OS 6, which could be one of the largest updates to come to smartwatches in some time.
We know that the always-on display is getting a huge rework, and thanks to the Developer Preview, we also got our first look at Material 3 Expressive. Of course, that isn’t the only thing that’s changing, with news comes from Android Authority, sharing details from a code dive that indicate that the Pixel Watch may get some enhanced tools when it comes to dealing with water.
Maybe something different
It appears that there are strings that point to a new “Water Lock” function that could appear in a future update. This is big news if you’re someone that’s been having issues with the touchscreen reacting in scenarios where water is a problem. Now, you might be thinking to yourself, doesn’t Google already have this kind of feature?
And well, it does have the Touch Lock feature that will completely lock out the touchscreen from being activated unless you push the digital crown for more than two seconds to unlock it. So, what changes if this new feature in the code gets introduced? Well, that’s not all that clear at this point either, unfortunately.
This addition becomes even more puzzling since the Water Lock mode doesn’t appear to come with a water ejection tool at the moment. This is perhaps the most critical part about a feature like this, since after submerging your smartwatch, ports tend to get filled with liquid, and being able to eject that fluid is better for the health of your product.
Of course, since this is something being dug up in code, there’s a chance that it might not even appear in the upcoming Wear OS 6 update, or that it could change into something completely different by the time it arrives. For the most part, this is just something to look out for at this point, something to keep in the back of your mind for what may come.
Beyond this, Wear OS 6 is already looking pretty exciting, and it should be a pretty big upgrade for users when it arrives. Of course, if you’re not into waiting, you can always try the Developer Preview which is now available for testing. Be warned though, it isn’t in perfect form, so if you’re someone that relies on their smartwatch every day, we recommend holding off until the public release.
