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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Google launched three new features on the Pixel Watch.
- Two features are gestures similar to those on the Apple Watch.
- Double Pinch and Wrist turn accept or dismiss Pixel Watch pings.
Pixel Watch’s features are looking a lot like Apple’s these days. On Tuesday, Google unveiled a few new features that expand on its one-handed gestures and smart replies.
With these new gestures, people no longer have to use their other hand to select information or dismiss notifications. Now, these pings can be dismissed or accepted with the turn of a wrist or the pinch of the index finger and thumb.
Also: A month with Fitbit Premium on my Pixel Watch changed my mind on AI health coaches
The Double Pinch gesture can snooze alarms, capture photos while using the Pixel Camera app, accept calls, and pause timers. Hints for Double Pinch pop up when a relevant action has been initiated. Apple calls this gesture Double Tap, which people can use to answer calls, respond to messages, or activate the Smart Stack.
Google’s Wrist Turn gesture works for silencing calls and closing any notifications or pings, similar to Apple’s Wrist Flick.
In addition to the two new gestures Google introduced on Tuesday, the tech giant also updated its Smart Replies feature. Google is adding its on-device Gemma-based language model to Smart Replies on Pixel Watch 3 and 4. Google says the model is twice as fast and three times as efficient in memory usage compared to previous models.
Also: Pixel Watch 4 review
When Google unveiled the Pixel Watch 4 in August, it launched its first one-handed gesture, Raise to Talk. The feature activates Gemini without having to say “Hey Google” or touch the crown of the smartwatch.
The new gestures highlight the hands-free features smartwatches are implementing into their devices. These make the smartwatch easier to use when someone has their hands full, and they create a frictionless experience when sending a text, selecting an option, or dismissing a call.
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