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Wear OS 5

Today's Android app deals and freebies: Dead Cells, Lovecraft's Untold Stories, ELOH, more
BetaBeacon
February 18, 2025

Today’s Android app deals and freebies: Dead Cells, Lovecraft’s Untold Stories, ELOH, more

- Today's roundup includes Android game and app deals, as well as launch day deals for the new Wear OS 5 OnePlus Watch 3. - There is a discount on the Galaxy S10+ and deals on Lenovo's Snapdragon X Plus IdeaPad 5x Copilot+ PC and the Surface Pro 11 Snapdragon X Elite Copilot+ PC. - Popular app deals include Dead Cells, Lovecraft's Untold Stories, ELOH, Sentinels of the Multiverse, and more.
I don't care much for watch apps, but I'm giving them a second chance
AppWizard
November 21, 2024

I don’t care much for watch apps, but I’m giving them a second chance

The Wear OS platform has gained attention with advancements in devices like the Pixel Watch 3 and Galaxy Watch Ultra. The Recorder app in Wear OS 5 allows seamless audio note-taking that syncs with the Pixel 9 and generates transcripts, making it useful for capturing notes. Google Keep Notes is used for creating weekly to-do lists, allowing tasks to be checked off from the wrist. Despite a growing fondness for Wear OS applications, there are concerns about the platform's overall capabilities due to the small display and limitations of voice-to-text technology. There is hope that advancements in AI, particularly with Gemini AI, will improve the functionality of these applications.
Wear OS 5 blocks one of the best watch apps and it's high time Google fixes things
AppWizard
October 16, 2024

Wear OS 5 blocks one of the best watch apps and it’s high time Google fixes things

Google has introduced the XML Watch Face Format (WFF) for Wear OS, optimizing memory usage and enhancing battery life for smartwatches. However, this has led to a decline in creativity for Android watch faces, resulting in the loss of popular apps like Facer. The WFF restricts complex animations and features, limiting memory usage to 10MB in ambient mode and 100MB in interactive mode. Users of the Galaxy Watch 7 and Pixel Watch 3 are left with default options or limited WFF alternatives, discouraging innovation. Facer is working with Google to integrate its service with Wear OS 5, but the transition requires converting its library of 500,000 faces to XML, which would strip away many features. Users would need to repurchase previously acquired faces, as the current Play Store structure lacks adequate support for developers. There are suggestions for Google to allow third-party installations of WFF faces or acquire Facer to improve watch face discovery.
Here's Google Play Store's watch face incompatibility warning in action (APK teardown)
AppWizard
October 7, 2024

Here’s Google Play Store’s watch face incompatibility warning in action (APK teardown)

The Google Play Store is set to introduce two new features for Android users: 1. Google Play Points will be displayed on the app listing page, allowing users to see their accumulated points easily. These points can be earned through purchases and redeemed for discounts or Google Play Credit. 2. A warning system will alert users when downloading apps with Wear OS watch faces that haven't been updated to the new Watch Face Format. This alert will only apply to incompatible apps and will not affect those already compliant or devices that launched with Wear OS 5.
The Pixel Watch 3 debuts grid-style app launcher
AppWizard
August 13, 2024

The Pixel Watch 3 debuts grid-style app launcher

Google's Pixel Watch 3 features a grid-based app launcher with Wear OS 5, replacing the traditional list-style app drawer. This new layout allows users to view more apps simultaneously and is particularly effective on the new 45mm model with a larger screen. Users can choose to keep the original list-style format if preferred. The watch also includes a new Recorder app and offline Google Maps capabilities. It is available for pre-order, with a release date of September 10.
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