At Google I/O this year, Google made a surprising revelation that it has been working with Samsung to combine Wear OS — Google’s operating system — and the Tizen-based software platform. Samsung is the only major Android smartphone maker that has the most smartwatch sales. The resulting combined platform is currently being referred to simply as “Wear,” though that might not be the final name. But what will this mean to the biggest smartwatch maker –Apple.
With billions of Android users worldwide, Google and Samsung standard a chance. The benefits of the joint effort include significant improvements to battery life, 30 percent faster loading times for apps, and smoother animations. It also simplifies life for developers and will create one central smartwatch OS for the Android platform. Google is also promising a greater selection of apps and watch faces than ever before.
According to a blog post from Google, “All device makers will be able to add a customized user experience on top of the platform, and developers will be able to use the Android tools they already know and love to build for one platform and ecosystem,”
Samsung will reportedly stick with its popular rotating bezel on future devices — but it’s done with making Tizen-only smartwatches. There will also be a version of Google Maps that works standalone (meaning without your phone nearby) and a YouTube Music app that supports offline downloads. Oh, and Spotify will support offline downloads on Wear smartwatches, as well.
There is no doubt that Samsung’s next Galaxy Watch will run on this unified platform. And future “premium” Fitbit devices will also run the software. Aside from merging the technologies of both platforms, the new Wear OS will include improvements that make it easier to multitask between wrist apps. And some of Fitbit’s “most popular” fitness tracking features will also be included to help the platform evolve as a health tool.
For current Samsung smartwatches, according to Wired, Samsung will make good on its promise of three years of software updates for existing products and it will also allow customers to export their health data so it can be used on future devices. The merging of these two big smartwatch OSes will give Google a fighting chance against the big dogs like the Apple watch, but both companies have a long way to go so as to have the brand loyalty that Apple has.
