Wear OS 7 gives Pixel Watch owners what they've been asking for, except what matters
Android Police 2026-07-21 11:00:15
Context: Google released Wear OS 7 for the Google Pixel Watch 2, 3, and 4 in June, but the original Pixel Watch was not included in the update. The new operating system brings several improvements, including faster interactions, dynamic widgets, better battery life, and Android integration. However, the update does not include the Gemini Intelligence features that Google showcased at I/O 2026.
Key Facts
- Google's Wear OS 7 update for Pixel Watch 2, 3, and 4 brings features such as faster interactions, dynamic widgets, better battery life, and Android integration, but the original Pixel Watch is not eligible for the update.
- The update includes a new system-level media output switcher that allows users to pass audio between earbuds, home speakers, their Android phone, the TV, and other devices.
- Wear OS 7's power management improvements provide up to a 10% improvement in battery life for users moving from Wear OS 6, which can result in an extra hour or two of battery life per charge.
- The Gemini Intelligence features, which were heavily promoted at I/O 2026, will be available on "select devices only" later this year, but it is unclear whether the original Pixel Watch or other older models will be included.
- The current Pixel Watch can still access Gemini, but only through phone-tethered or cloud-based processing, as it lacks the necessary hardware, specifically a Neural Processing Unit, to run Gemini Intelligence features on-device.