May 19, 2021, 6:33 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
Even before the Google I/O, it became clear that Samsung will manufacture smartwatches with Google’s Wear OS in the future. Now, the two companies have made the partnership official.
Last year, the Google I/O couldn’t take place, but this year, the company announced several major innovations at the developer conference. The stars of the show were Android 12 and the new “LaMDA” AI. However, Google–and Samsung–also announced significant changes for the Wear smartwatch operating system.
For those who prefer watching over reading, find out in the video if Apple should be worried now:
A Unified Smartwatch Platform
Google and Samsung have announced a wearable partnership. This unites their smartwatch platforms, Tizen (Samsung) and Wear OS (Google). This is a drastic change in the smartwatch world, which has been dominated by the Apple Watch until now.
Google has always treated the Wear platform (formerly Android Wear) as a side project. Poor performance and battery life, limited features, and a dismal update policy have made devices with the system unattractive compared to the Apple Watch. Samsung has relied on its own Tizen operating system for years, also with moderate success.
Read also: Google releases first public beta of Android 12
The Most Exciting Innovations from Google’s Android Show
Fitbit loses important functions! Are smartwatches coming to an end?
The New Platform Finally Makes Android-Compatible Smartwatches Attractive
The merger is expected to bring significant benefits to the new “Wear” operating system. Google promises not only up to 30 percent faster app load times and all-day battery life. Animations and movements on the screen are also expected to be smoother than before. The unified platform is also intended to simplify software development. As a result, there would be more apps and a greater selection of watch faces than before.
Google Maps for the smartwatch will get real-time navigation and no longer require an Android smartphone for location services. YouTube Music for Wear is now also independent of the smartphone and can download music for offline playback. The same applies to the Spotify app.
Another feature that is now possible without a smartphone is contactless payment via Google Pay. The Apple Watch has long supported payment with Apple Pay independently of the iPhone, while smartwatches with Wear OS have so far only been able to do so in conjunction with an Android smartphone.
Smartwatch manufacturers can give the operating system their own interface, similar to Android. For example, Samsung will retain the rotating bezel around the watch face on new watches, which enables additional functions. Another improvement in Wear is expected to be the ability to switch between apps, which was not possible with Wear OS until now.
Samsung and Fitbit Already Announce Smartwatches with the New Wear
The next version of the Galaxy Watch is already set to run on the new, unified operating system. Fitness band manufacturer Fitbit has also announced premium devices with the new platform. Fitbit is also contributing expertise in the fitness sector, which is expected to improve workout tracking and health functions in Wear.
Samsung plans to stick with three years of updates for Tizen-based smartwatches. Users will also be able to transfer their health data to the new Wear platform. However, an update of older devices to the new system is unlikely.