Samsung May Come Back To Google For Next Smartwatch

February 21, 2021 Off By Naveen Victor

Samsung may be looking to embrace ‘Android’ (this could mean WearOS) for its upcoming smartwatch. This is according to SamMobile and Ice Universe. The news means that The Korean manufacturer is looking beyond Tizen, its home-baked OS, to meet the software needs of its upcoming devices.

Google’s operating system hasn’t gained much traction with manufacturers due to several factors including its power hungry requirements. Far from a worthy competitor to Apple’s WatchOS, WearOS has struggled over the years to remain relevant. Only a handful of companies like Fossil and MOBVOI’s Ticwatch have remained faithful to date.

But Google’s acquisition of Fitbit, a world leader in fitness tracking wearables, for a sum of $2.1 billion, could signal a shift in its priorities. This could mean that WearOS is being improved as we speak – revamped from the inside out, to become the smartwatch OS we need it to be.

Tizen is a fairly dependable alternative, its been powering Samsung’s watches for years. But the decision to jump back onto the WearOS bandwagon, could serve as an indication that Google may be stepping up its game in an Apple-rivaling way. That’s good news for us, because Android users will finally have a proper smartwatch to wear.

Most non-Apple smartwatches, use their own unique software. Fitbit has its own OS, and the same is true of Garmin, Amazfit, Huawei, Xiaomi, Samsung and several others. These OS run well on conservative hardware, yet offer decent battery life. But this could soon change, if team Google offers them a compelling reason to join the fold.