Gmail may soon arrive on your Android smartwatch
Apple should be concerned about Google’s most recent attempt at a smartwatch, but it’s not just the price that makes it appealing; new Wear OS devices like the Pixel Watch may soon be more capable than initially anticipated. The tech giant is apparently working on updated Gmail and Calendar apps that could be coming to Wear OS, according to rumors picked up by 9to5Google. Since neither app is currently available on Google Watches, 9To5Google hypothesizes that this may be due to the company’s “dependence” on rich notifications, which let users engage with the content without fully opening the app and are simpler to use on a smartphone’s larger display.
Gmail for Pixel Watch
The Agenda app that comes pre-installed on the Pixel Watch displays a three-day view of impending events but does not allow for the addition of new entries (besides using the built-in Google Assistant). Users can still receive notifications from their linked smartphone even if there is no dedicated Gmail app, as with the Apple Watch when no watchOS software is available. This has worked just fine up to this point for checking incoming mail, but connecting an Android phone was still necessary to make even a brief reply.
We’ll have to wait and see what the future holds, but Google reports that it has “learned that Google is testing both Gmail and Calendar for Wear OS,” with the experience promising to be “full” and suggesting dedicated Google Workspace apps with better interaction, like the ability to create new events or emails.
In contrast, the dedicated Mail and Calendar applications for the Apple Watch are included in every iteration of watchOS and have received incremental updates along with the corresponding iOS updates. For the time being, some Pixel Watch users may find it more advantageous to use the specific Outlook Wear OS app for their email services as opposed to merely receiving notifications from the Gmail app on their phones on their wrist.