Posted by Kseniia Shumelchyk, Android Developer Relations Engineer
In collaboration with our {hardware} companions, we’ve continued to prioritize the Put on OS by Google consumer expertise. As such, we’ve made elementary design adjustments to the platform and considerably expanded the capabilities of the Put on OS hybrid interface that enhance two key areas: energy and efficiency.
With OnePlus Watch 2, powered with the newest model of Put on OS (Put on OS 4), the dual-chipset structure works with our hybrid interface to get each chips to work higher in tandem. This permits much more use circumstances to profit from dramatically prolonged battery lifetime of as much as 100 hours of normal use with all functionalities accessible in Good Mode.
Collectively, we’ve created a premium smartwatch expertise that doesn’t compromise the superior characteristic set or battery life. On this publish, we’ll share how one can profit from these adjustments when constructing experiences for Put on OS.
On the sting of innovation: redesigned smartwatch structure
Put on OS smartwatches have a dual-chipset structure inclusive of a robust utility processor (AP) and extremely low-power co-processor microcontroller unit (MCU). The structure has a robust AP able to dealing with advanced operations en-masse, and is seamlessly coupled with a low energy MCU.
The Put on OS hybrid interface allows clever switching between the MCU or the AP, permitting the AP to be suspended when not wanted to protect battery life. It helps, as an example, obtain extra power-efficient experiences, like sensor information processing on the MCU whereas the AP is asleep. On the identical time, the hybrid interface offers a seamless transition between these states, protecting a wealthy and premium consumer expertise with out jarring transitions between energy modes.
Connectivity and notification expertise
To boost connectivity-reliant interactions like notifications and telephone calls, OnePlus utilized platform capabilities with the notification API within the hybrid interface, enabling the MCU to course of common notification experiences and cut back the necessity to activate the AP.
For instance, bridged notifications might be delivered to the watch with out waking up the high-performance AP. Customers can learn and dismiss these notifications whereas the watch continues to be powered by the MCU. The MCU may deal with wearable-specific actions in notifications, corresponding to fast replies or distant actions.
What this implies for growth
You’ll be able to leverage current Put on OS APIs to get these optimizations with none added effort – no code adjustments required!
Notifications
The notification hybrid interface allows seamless transitions between energy modes to work with the Put on OS notification stack. You get the perfect notification efficiency by utilizing the Notification API.
Well being & Health experiences
The Put on OS hybrid interface additionally elevates the health expertise with extra exact exercise monitoring, automated sports activities recognition and smarter well being information monitoring. All of those might be supplied to customers with out compromising battery life.
Beginning with Put on OS 3, builders use Well being Providers on Put on OS to realize entry to sensor information. The well being hybrid interface works beneath the hood to allow energy optimizations by batching sensor information on the MCU and periodically updating developer apps via the Well being Providers API on the AP.
Watch Faces
With Put on OS 4, we launched the Watch Face Format, a declarative XML format to create customizable and power-efficient watch faces.
The platform has created capabilities to implement Watch Face Format rendering on the MCU, so utilizing the brand new format helps future-proof sure watch faces to make the most of rising optimizations in future units for higher battery utilization.
Try the watch face format documentation and design pointers for Put on OS watch faces.
Develop your attain with Put on OS
With the additions to the Put on OS smartwatch ecosystem and expanded system capabilities, it is a really perfect time to construct experiences for smartwatches that may attain extra customers and profit your corporation.
To start growing apps for Put on OS, attempt our Compose for Put on OS codelab, and take a look at the documentation and samples.
Learn extra about developer updates in Put on OS 4, and how one can get your apps prepared for the newest Put on OS watches.
We will’t wait to see what experiences you’ll construct!
