Galaxy Watch 4 and Wear OS — 8 things Samsung and Google need to fix

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Milky way Lookout man iv and Wear Bone — 8 things Samsung and Google demand to set

(Image credit: Amazon Canada)

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 is a good smartwatch, though far from a perfect one. It represents an effort past both Samsung and Google to reset the Android Habiliment operating system, at present known as Wear OS.

Compared to Android proper, Android Wear languished in the back corner of Google's offices, seldom seeing major updates that ironed out many of its quirks and glitches. It's what prompted Samsung to create its own habiliment operating organization based on Tizen, a Linux distribution, which was considered the best alternative to Apple's watchOS software.

At present, Samsung has dropped Tizen to instead partner with Google directly on Wearable OS. The Korean electronics giant brought many of its design choices from Tizen over to Article of clothing OS, and it's largely been embraced by the Android faithful. I'm not certain if it's been a valiant effort or not, as the Galaxy Watch iv is the first smartwatch I've used for an extended period of fourth dimension. And after spending the last month with the leader from our best smartwatches for Android list, there are definitely some odd quirks with both the Milky way Sentry iv and Wear OS that could use some fixing.

Uninterrupted music playback on the Galaxy Sentinel 4

This was such a bizarre quirk I couldn't believe it left QA without anyone raising a red flag. As I was out for an evening jog, I had a podcast playing on Spotify via the Galaxy Watch 4. The stream was largely consistent, sending the Bluetooth audio signal to my Sony WF-1000XM3 earbuds. The lookout man was also tracking my progress every bit I ran.

(Image credit: Future)

One time I hit the 1-mile marker, the Galaxy Watch prompted me, and told me my abysmal time. But it didn't resume Spotify playback. I stopped my jog and looked at my Milky way Watch four. There was no prompt for me to resume playback. Not only that, I couldn't back out of Samsung's running app to become into Spotify to striking play. I had to completely exit out and end my run, go into Spotify, press play, and then restart the run counter.

Resuming playback subsequently a prompt seems like a no-brainer. And yet, the Galaxy Watch 4 drops the brawl on this.

Where's Google Assistant?

(Paradigm credit: Future)

This seems obvious for any Google product, merely surprisingly, the Milky way Spotter four does not take Google Assistant. I'm non certain why that's the case. I suspect either Google is still working on it or that Samsung wants its customers to use Bixby instead.

Going over to the Samsung community forums, users are claiming that the company has plans to introduce Google Assistant to its watches, and Samsung has said as much, without giving a time frame. Just until then, doing quick Google searches will require a phone or the use of the Samsung Web Browser.

Optimized responsiveness for the Galaxy Picket iv

Compared to past Android Wear smartwatches, I've read that the Milky way Scout four and its dual-cadre Exynos W920 processor are a major jump over the Snapdragon 2100 chip. Fifty-fifty and so, in that location are times when the watch can lag a piddling and not be as responsive as I would like. I'chiliad not certain if this is a power shortcoming or a software optimization event, but if it'southward the latter, both Google and Samsung need to become to work on making this sentinel a tiny scrap snappier.

(Image credit: Hereafter)

Allow me delete built-in apps

It's annoying when telephone makers bake in apps that you can't delete. Whether it'southward on iPhone or Android, it's possible to group these unused apps into a folder and never have to remember well-nigh them again.

That's non the example with the Galaxy Lookout 4. In that location are certain apps that cannot be deleted. These include Bixby, Samsung Health, Calendar too equally a few others. It'southward also incommunicable to lump them into a different binder. The all-time thing users tin can do is push these apps to the bottom of the icons list.

Now, I'm not maxim whatever of the above apps are bad. To the opposite. I apply some of them. I just don't like beingness told I cannot practise something.

Faster calls with the Galaxy Watch 4

Amazon'south buy with one click feature is one of its about innovative, if pernicious, features. Merely generally, the fewer times a user has to make an interaction to achieve a task, the better. And when it comes to phone calls, it generally should take ane or 2 taps, right?

That's not the case with the Galaxy Watch iv. Initiating a phone call takes too many steps. I accept to open upwardly the contacts app, choose a contact, tap on call then it then asks me if I want the call to appoint on my phone or my watch. That's where the story should finish. Well, not if I cull to accept the call on my watch. It then gives me another prompt asking if it's okay to brand mobile network calls on my sentinel.

I've already signed up for a lookout plan with T-Mobile. An eSIM is registered on my sentinel. Why is it asking for permission every single fourth dimension? Totally and absolutely unnecessary.

A more accurate step counter

Multiple reviews and complaints on the Samsung Community Forums claim that the Galaxy Watch 4 has an inaccurate pedometer. And aye, I also feel that's the case.

(Image credit: Hereafter)

While I didn't get through the hassle of counting every one of my ain steps, something didn't experience correct. While sitting largely at my estimator doing work throughout the day, but jumping into the kitchen to grab a snack or dejeuner, in that location'southward no reason I should accept been documenting more than 1,000 steps.

Disappearing notifications with Wear OS

Samsung and Google need to fix Article of clothing Bone's notification quirks. There are many times where I will experience my picket vibrate, only to look down later and see no notifications. Did someone text me? Was Samsung telling me good task for getting off my computer chair? I'm not sure.

Scrolling over to the notifications widget yields no answers either. And no, these aren't phantom vibrations. But if these shenanigans continue, I may really get-go experiencing this mod psychological phenomenon.

Oh, and if someone on Facebook Messenger sends me a photo, the Galaxy Wach four will only notify me of the sent picture but won't actually show it. Information technology'south as if Samsung is wanting me to pull out my telephone.

Better Spotify for Galaxy Watch 4

This last signal is less a Google and Samsung issue and more than of a Spotify i. If there are any Spotify engineers reading this article, delight, make the app better.

Right now, Spotify on the Milky way Sentry is so barebones that information technology essentially requires a phone nearby to become full functionality. All users can do is listen to already subscribed to podcasts and existing playlists. I tin can't, for case, look up a new album or a new podcast and listen to that instead. I have to first follow that artist or podcast on my telephone, and then I'll take the choice on the Watch.

Imad Khan is news editor at Tom'south Guide, helping direct the day's breaking coverage. Prior to working at the site, Imad was a full-time freelancer, with bylines at the New York Times, the Washington Mail service and ESPN. Outside of work, you lot tin find him sitting blankly in front end of a Word document trying desperately to write the beginning pages of a new book.

Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/opinion/galaxy-watch-4-and-wear-os-8-things-samsung-and-google-need-to-fix

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