Summary
- Wear OS 5, based on Android 14, is likely to support Bluetooth LE Audio, boosting battery efficiency for streaming audio.
- A Bluetooth LE Audio toggle was spotted in the Wear OS 5 Developer Preview, suggesting easy activation for compatible devices.
- The upcoming Pixel Watch 3, which is expected to debut at Google’s August event, could be the first to feature Bluetooth LE Audio.
Google’s Wear OS is on a roll, with some exciting updates coming our way. After a bunch of cool announcements at its latest developer conference, like better battery life and more display options, there’s even more good news. A recent report says that Wear OS 5, built on Android 14, is set to bring Bluetooth LE Audio support to Wear OS watches. This new standard should make your smartwatch way more efficient at streaming audio to your wireless headphones, saving battery life in the process.
In a recent deep dive by Mishaal Rahman (writing for Android Authority), a hidden toggle was found in the May Wear OS 5 Developer Preview. Tucked away in the code strings of the ClockworkSettings app, there’s a hint about a new “LE Audio” option in the Bluetooth settings. This suggests that Wear OS 5 smartwatches, when paired with compatible earbuds like Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 3, will have a toggle for LE Audio, making it easy to turn on this power-saving tech, as per Rahman.
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And the Pixel Watch 3 is the best candidate
Wear OS users currently have two ways to enjoy music: streaming apps or local storage playback. You can connect Bluetooth headphones directly to the watch, skipping the phone, but this uses Bluetooth Classic, which drains the battery fast, especially during workouts. On the other hand, LE Audio promises to save battery life, especially when playing music.
Wear OS currently doesn’t support Bluetooth LE Audio
Bluetooth LE Audio’s debut in Android 13 revolutionized single-source, single-receiver audio. However, Wear OS hasn’t caught up yet. Today’s smartwatches don’t support LE Audio at all, but there’s buzz that Android 15 might change that by enabling multi-device streaming. This means one LE Audio-compatible smartwatch could send audio to multiple headphones at once.
Excitement is building for Google’s August event, where the Pixel Watch 3 is expected to debut. While details on Bluetooth LE Audio are still under wraps, Wear OS 5 hints that the Pixel Watch 3 could be the first to feature this battery-saving tech. We’ll find out how it performs this fall, but the future of smartwatch audio looks promising.
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