Android P / Next Wear OS News

kwilcox
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So, I've been conducting an apples to apples test over this week and at this point it appears that battery life on my CM41 is slightly worse with the new update. Before I would generally get 15 hours before low power mode kicked in and now its up to 30 minutes sooner.
 
Silver Beard
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Is that with screen on all the time? If so, does it make a difference if its a genuine TH face or Watchmaker/Facer?
 
kwilcox
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Well, I'm doing an apples to apples comparison which means same watchface, same installed apps, typical daily use. Based on this test criteria, the new update appears to be slightly more power intensive.

FWIW, I run ambient mode with a custom watchmaker face and am perfectly ok with 15 hours before low power mode kicks in. I do realize that there are a number of ways to improve this and may start investigating watchmaker options for ambient mode that might help. First test would be to go to a TH face for a while to see if this significantly improves things.
 
kwilcox
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I've begun watchmaker battery drain comparison testing today, featuring the TH GMT face in black:

2v2Jz7UA5xQr3s.jpg
 
kwilcox
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TGHC45 TGHC45
@kwilcox

Which app do you use for texting on the watch ?

I don't text from my watch. Too much of a PITA to use the tiny screen or enable voice. Instead, I use it for text notifications then reply using my phone. Admittedly, I haven't re-visited it using the WearOS update.
 
TGHC45
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kwilcox kwilcox
I don't text from my watch. Too much of a PITA to use the tiny screen or enable voice. Instead, I use it for text notifications then reply using my phone. Admittedly, I haven't re-visited it using the WearOS update.
Thanks
 
G
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While I haven't tested this scientifically, I am consistently getting well above 40% since the last update on my CM41. I don't use the Watchmaker watches (mainly the stock watch faces, and the one from MS Outlook when at work). I have almost everything turned on except tilt to wake. The improvements seem to come primarily from no longer having the battery drain when listening to music on my Android phone... The media control on the watch was really having an impact before. I also have the the impression that Google Fit is using less power for all day tracking (I never allowed for location tracking there). I look forward to your more scientific results.
 
kwilcox
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Using the Tag GMT watchface yielded an additional 1.5 hours before low power mode kicked in. That's a 10% improvement. I'll keep using the GMT face while I adjust the ambient mode display on my watchmaker face to be identical to the TAG ambient mode display. I'm interested to see if the watchmaker app itself decreases battery life or if it is strictly related to the ambient mode display design.
 
G
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The Outlook watch face is indeed really nice and give you a good view into the next meeting as well as how the rest of the day looks like - specially useful when you do a lot of meetings.

Didn't know it requies the Android version of Outlook and doesn't work with the iOS version.

Gerard
 
Albert-AMG
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kwilcox kwilcox
I'm interested to see if the watchmaker app itself decreases battery life or if it is strictly related to the ambient mode display design.
Please check this Heuer 1000 face with the WatchMaker app. It’s the best face in battery consumption I have used up to now! The watch had still 58% of battery after 11 hours wearing it, with “always on” screen setting.

The link of this face by Tom K, slightly customized by me:

http://dk2dv4ezy246u.cloudfront.net/share/B15MW2Po7.watch

B62162F2-2E20-408D-A004-778A7222EF27.jpeg
Edited:
 
Hubert
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G gmetrail
The Outlook watch face is indeed really nice and give you a good view into the next meeting as well as how the rest of the day looks like - specially useful when you do a lot of meetings.

Didn't know it requies the Android version of Outlook and doesn't work with the iOS version.

Gerard
Unfortunately, the Oulook watchface stopped working on my two Connected watches years ago. So I don't think the phone's OS matters. 🙁
 
ddaenen1
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Hubert Hubert
Unfortunately, the Oulook watchface stopped working on my two Connected watches years ago. So I don't think the phone's OS matters. 🙁

By coincidence i looked it up in google play and it states the app is not available for my device (iPhone 8).
 
Hubert
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ddaenen1 ddaenen1
By coincidence i looked it up in google play and it states the app is not available for my device (iPhone 8).
Shame, because the Outlook app is great.
 
G
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Hubert Hubert
Unfortunately, the Oulook watchface stopped working on my two Connected watches years ago. So I don't think the phone's OS matters. 🙁

Very strange, it works great for me as I use Outlook for Android. Did you contact the MS Support team thought the Outlook mobile App link. I have found them quite responsive in the past.
 
kwilcox
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Apparently, the outlook watchface is loaded from the phone app. So I need to download the apple app store version of outlook to get this on my watch. Got it.

@Albert-AMG : thanks for the watchface link. I'll give it a shot!. Is that the ambient display you're showing?
 
Albert-AMG
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kwilcox kwilcox
@Albert-AMG : thanks for the watchface link. I'll give it a shot!. Is that the ambient display you're showing?

👍 Yes, the picture is in ambient mode, when the digital screen shows the battery level. It shows time in bright mode, as in this other picture:

1F195F31-7239-4110-BEB2-57BCFBEAC8A6.jpeg
 
G
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kwilcox kwilcox
Apparently, the outlook watchface is loaded from the phone app. So I need to download the apple app store version of outlook to get this on my watch. Got it.
Yes, you need to use Outlook on your phone and that's the calendar and the email client used for the watchface and notifications. If you use Outlook, you can disable the other calendar notifications to avoid double messages.
 
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