What you need to know
- Google's Android Beta Program page shows "Wear OS beta Program" in its code.
- A mention of both Pixel Watch connectivity variants is displayed alongside the existence of the beta program.
- Wear OS 4 was first teased during I/O 2023 and Google stated the software would release later this year.
Wear OS 4 is Google's next endeavor in the world of wearables and it looks like testing for it is on the way. Spotted by 9to5Google, "Wear OS beta program" has apparently appeared within the page source of the company's Android Beta Program landing.
The name of the program is mentioned a couple of times in the code, alongside what is assumed to be eligible Pixel Watch variants: Bluetooth/Wi-Fi and the 4G LTE variant with Bluetooth/Wi-Fi connectivity.
With a discovery like this, it could mean the company is moving ever close to allowing regular users to test Wear OS 4. Its previous iteration, Wear OS 3, was released two years ago, and Google started teasing its updated version during I/O 2023.
Other than bringing in some brand-new features, the company teased backup and restore support for wearables, as well as some improvements to devices' battery lives.
The company didn't give specifics, however, it's expected that Wear OS 4 will launch later this year. Moreover, developers have already gotten their hands on a preview and emulator. Beginning the beta test soon would potentially give users and Google time to correct any glaring issues before the Pixel Watch 2's rumored arrival later this fall.
Google is getting users into the Wear OS 4 beta test a little later than Samsung. The South Korean tech giant launched its One UI Watch 5 beta, based on Wear OS 4 and Android 13, back in June. The company did face a delay in rolling this out to users due to problems working with Google's latest wearable software.
Lastly, Android 14 is currently on the homestretch in its development cycle as Beta 3 was released a few weeks ago, followed by the Beta 3.1 build. With Google looking to release a stable Android 14 to the world in August, perhaps the company will look to begin its Wear OS 4 beta program once beta testing for its mobile software no longer requires so much attention.
