What you need to know
- Samsung’s new One UI Watch 4.5 is now official with a slew of accessibility improvements.
- Important updates also include an improved typing experience and watch face customization options.
- The latest version of One UI for smartwatches will make its way to wearable devices in the third quarter of 2022.
Today, Samsung officially revealed the stable version of One UI Watch 4.5 based on Wear OS 3.5, marking the end of its beta program that started in June. New smartwatch software based on Wear OS addresses a number of accessibility vulnerabilities and improves the overall experience.
The new update gives us a partial view of the features that are coming to many of the best Android smartwatches, including a new keyboard interface, watch face customization options, an improved user interface for choosing which SIM to use when making a call, and easy access to features. This confirms a previous leak.
On the accessibility front, One UI Watch 4.5 includes the ability to adjust screen hue and contrast — handy for users who have trouble distinguishing between colors. It also allows you to reduce transparency and blur effects as well as disable animation.
You can also adjust the audio output of the connected Bluetooth device through the new audio channel settings. The update also allows you to adjust notification durations, volume, and touch input from a single menu. The home button is now more versatile, serving as a toggle for frequently used features.
The QWERTY keyboard is also trending to wear the operating system’s wrist. The big improvement with the keyboard is that it supports swipe typing as well as dictation and handwriting.
The new version also supports the function of two SIM cards. This means that you will be able to choose which SIM you want to access when making a call or sending a message. Your paired Galaxy Watch will automatically update with your chosen SIM card. The interface will also display which SIM is currently in use, with an option to easily switch between SIMs without having to open your phone’s settings.
You can browse the gallery below to see the whole new interface.
New UI watch face customization options will let you match your watch to your outfit by copying your favorite watch faces and then switching available colors and combinations.
The new One UI Watch Experience is scheduled to appear on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic in the third quarter of 2022. Samsung’s next premium smartwatches will also be treated to the same update when the cover is broken, presumably next month during the company’s Galaxy Unpacked event .
However, these aren’t the only features coming to Samsung’s smartwatches when One UI Watch 4.5 arrives later this year. The company promises that additional features are on the way.
