- Wear OS offers multiple data connectivity options, including cellular, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth.
- System updates can be very large, presenting a bottleneck on slower Bluetooth connections.
- A new change will see Wear OS prioritize Wi-Fi and cellular over Bluetooth for downloading updates.
Keeping your Android device updated is probably the single most important thing you can do to get the most out of it, ensuring you’ve got access to not just all the hot new features, but also critical security patches. On our phones, installing updates is pretty easy, and we’ve got no shortage of great options for getting new software on them, from cellular or Wi-Fi OTA, to a wired USB connection. The situation’s been a little more complicated when we’re looking at smartwatches, but a recent tweak sounds like it could be changing things for the better.
Wear OS smartwatches generally support Wi-Fi, and many models also offer the option for cellular connectivity, but so far it’s really been Bluetooth doing a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to getting data on and off our watches. And while Bluetooth is really great at a lot of things, it’s not exactly the fastest way to transfer a whole lot of data. With modern Wear OS updates pushing into the gigabyte range, you’re probably going to want something speedier than Bluetooth to send them to your watch.