Summary
- Google seems to be rolling out Material 3 Expressive-based Google Calendar tiles for some Pixel Watch users.
- The new design comes with rounded buttons and better information density.
- Material 3 Expressive adds color and animations to Wear OS for a polished look.
Earlier this week, Google unveiled Material 3 Expressive, an evolution of its Material Design 3 design guidelines. It adds a dash of color and sleek animations to give the OS a more polished and expressive look. Besides phones, Material 3 Expressive will also come to Wear OS, with the new design making better use of the smaller, round displays. While Google said its new design language will roll out later this year, at least one Pixel Watch user has already gained access to Material 3 Expressive tiles.
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Reddit user /TurningTablesAgain shared a couple of pictures showing the Google Calendar tiles on his Pixel Watch 3 with Material 3 Expressive design elements. The “More” and “Calendar” buttons are more rounded, with both tiles making better use of the smaller screen for higher information density.
I’m also seeing the new Google Calendar tiles on my Pixel Watch 2. Compared to the older design, the new tiles make better use of the circular display, with the larger colored buttons helping brighten up an otherwise drab UI. While the changes to the tiles might not seem big enough individually, they will blend better once Wear OS 6 lands.
Google appears to be rolling out the redesigned tiles selectively, even for users who have installed the latest Google Calendar update for Wear OS. You can grab the update from the Wear OS Play Store, but there’s no guarantee the new tiles will appear on your watch just yet.
The company might do something similar with the tiles of its other Wear OS apps, pushing their Material 3 Design overhaul to only select users to gather feedback before a public rollout later this year.
Wear OS 6 will be all about Material 3 Expressive
When Wear OS lands on the Pixel Watch 3, it will bring a similar cohesive Material 3 Expressive UI across the entire OS. The buttons will be more rounded to align with the circular displays of Wear OS watches, and dynamic color themes will help make the interface feel more lively.
Despite the big UI changes and sleek new animations, Wear OS 6 will not negatively affect your smartwatch’s battery life. Instead, Google says the OS will boost battery life by up to 10% while delivering better performance.
