Wear OS 5 first appeared at Google I/O, but we didn’t hear much from the new firmware for months after that. It eventually debuted on the Galaxy Watch 7, but even though Samsung has a One UI 6 Watch beta program for the build, it’s yet to go stable on any of the company’s older watches. When the Pixel Watch 3 brought Wear OS 5 back into the headlines and Google started rolling the update out to its other watches this week, we thought it was here to stay — but as it turns out, it’s still not quite time for Wear OS 5 to shine.
The week in mobile saw news from most major players, but Google certainly dominated headlines within the Android space. Its new Google TV Streamer finally arrived to kill off the Chromecast, and Gemini AI continued on its quest to fill every corner of the apps you know and love. But Samsung definitely made its own waves this week, and California did what it does best by regulating more loopholes that tech companies were exploiting.
Another botched update from Google halts Wear OS 5’s wide rollout
To start the week, there were a grand total of three smartwatch models that supported Google’s latest Wear OS version: The Galaxy Watch 7, Galaxy Watch Ultra, and Pixel Watch 3. Samsung will soon bring the update to its Galaxy Watch 4, 5, 6, and FE models, but the beta programs for these devices are still ongoing.
On Tuesday, Google announced that Wear OS 5 was rolling out to the Pixel Watch 1 and 2, bringing a faster way to try new watch faces. But on Wednesday, some users were greeted by watches that would only display a black screen after installing the firmware, in a situation that drew parallels to a botched Pixel 6 update in July. On Thursday, we heard reports that Google was pulling the update over soft-bricking concerns, and by Friday, Google confirmed it: Wear OS 5 for the Pixel Watch 1 and 2 is back on hold while critical bugs are worked out.
Samsung’s newest fan favorites go official
Everybody lines up to watch Samsung’s two annual Unpacked events where the Galaxy S and Z series are unveiled — but the die-hard Galaxy fans in the audience may very well have been more excited about this week’s hardware announcements. On Thursday, Samsung took the wraps off a new phone, new tablets, and an updated variant of one of its existing watches.
This year’s Fan Edition of the S24 has arrived, and while the Galaxy S24 FE looks more like an S24+ with its 6.7-inch screen, we wish Samsung had cut a few more corners to keep the price from increasing this year. And we were also a bit disappointed that the Galaxy Tab S10 series got rid of the entry-level model, but have to admit that the Tab S10 Ultra is looking quite beastly. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Watch FE got a new LTE variant for just $250, so Samsung is clearly still capable of undercutting the competition when it wants to.
California takes a stand against shady tech practices
For all its warts, California’s consumer protection laws help stifle shady business practices, and marketplaces that center around technology tend to benefit more than most from such legislation. This week, two new bills were signed into law fitting this description.
Governor Gavin Newsom signed a package of consumer protection bills on Tuesday, and a pair of these stand to make waves in the smartphone industry. AB 2863, the so-called “Click to cancel” bill, now mandates that it be just as easy to stop a subscription as it was to start. Meanwhile, AB 2426 forces digital storefronts to tell you up front when you’re only getting a license to use apps, games, or media, rather than use misleading terminology like “Buy” or “Purchase.” While these laws only apply within California, companies having to accommodate them could have ripple effects for the rest of us.
Gemini AI hasn’t quite made it into every corner of all your Google apps, but it’s close
We kid about parallels between Google’s AI efforts and Skynet’s rise of the machines, but this week, it kinda felt like Gemini was in on the joke. Google’s flagship AI product keeps finding itself on more and more surfaces, and some are clearly more useful than others.
The all-new Pixel Buds Pro 2 come with Gemini, but now Google has revealed that its chatbot is expanding to all existing Pixel Buds models. Gemini also found its way into a new area of Google Photos, with an APK teardown revealing plans to have it narrate your Memories. Meanwhile, Xiaomi’s newest phone has Gemini’s fingerprints all over it, but the most exciting development was probably Gemini’s new Google Calendar extension — just make sure to be careful how you use it.
Your Chromecast is officially old
Does your smart TV’s brain dangle like a dongle from the back of your big screen? Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that’s so 2015 — in 2024, set-top boxes are all the rage all over again, and Google TV has thrown off its Chromecast shackles in favor of the sleek new, wedge-shaped Google TV Streamer.
After going official Monday and hitting shelves Tuesday, the Google Store quickly sold out of the new Google TV Streamer by Thursday, pushing shipment dates into October and November. You can still get your hands on it from the right retailers, and those who have discovered that its new voice remote works with old Chromecasts. Google itself is bringing some of the new functionality to older Google TV models, but one thing that won’t be backwards-compatible is the half-off deal you can get on Google’s premium HDMI cable.