Your Samsung Galaxy Watch could become much smarter with the upcoming update.

      Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

      Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch Ultra alongside its folding smartphones in July of last year, accompanied by a variety of innovative software features, including the provision of an Energy Score each morning based on a range of metrics.

      Recent reports from Android Authority, stemming from multiple APK teardowns, indicate that Samsung's smartwatches may receive exciting updates in the coming months with the anticipated One UI 8 Watch release.

      Three distinct reports detail features that could debut on the Galaxy smartwatches, the most notable being the transfer of One UI 7’s Now Bar from Galaxy phones. Analysis of a leaked version of the SecClockWorkSysUI (version 4.0.57) APK revealed code snippets suggesting that Samsung is adapting the Now Bar for a smartwatch format.

      The report suggests that the Now Bar on the Galaxy Watch may manifest as a straightforward icon or a more detailed display that includes both an icon and text when activated. It is speculated that the Now Bar could function as a widget system, providing context-aware information without requiring users to leave the main watch face, displaying elements such as Media Controls, the Now Brief, live sports scores, and Maps.

      Additionally, it has been proposed that gesture-based actions might allow users to double pinch to access the Now Bar on their Galaxy Watch, presumably functioning similarly to the double pinch action on the Apple Watch, which enables users to start workouts or answer calls.

      What other features might One UI 8 Watch introduce for Samsung smartwatches?

      In a separate report, Android Authority discovered a code snippet within the Battery app (version 4.0.00.8) for Galaxy Watch that implies Samsung is working on integrating a battery protection feature for its devices. If this is accurate, it could implement a charging limit to a specific percentage, such as 80 percent, aimed at safeguarding battery longevity.

      Lastly, another report hints at potential new functionalities for watch faces in One UI 8 Watch. Android Authority indicates that Samsung may be exploring new options for watch faces on Galaxy Watches, including the ability for users to designate favorite faces and randomize which one is currently set. Unfortunately, the teardown did not reveal any features for automating this randomization, but it indicated that there might be possibilities for suggesting new watch face options based on previously selected favorites.

      At present, none of these potential features have been officially confirmed by Samsung for Galaxy Watch models, but if any turn out to be true, One UI 8 Watch could prove to be an exciting upgrade.

      Britta is a freelance technology journalist who has been writing about tech for over a decade, covering a wide array of consumer technology topics.

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