14 DAY TRIAL // Samsung single-handedly killed Android Wear with its Gear S lineup of smartwatches that run Tizen OS. However, Google is willing to put up a fight and plans a relaunch of its smartwatch OS starting next year.
Although it was originally slated for a 2016 release, Android Wear 2.0 has been postponed until 2017. Until then, developers can download and install the Android Wear 2.0 preview version, which will allow them to build new apps or adjust those that were already available in the first iteration of the OS.
In order to push the development of the Android Wear 2.0 and improve on what's already been built until now, Google has acquired Cronologics, a company that owns a platform for smart, diverse smartwatches.
Cronologics confirmed the acquisition on its website, but the search giant is still mum on the details of the purchase. Cronologics is a company founded in 2014, which launched its own CoWatch device running on a proprietary platform.
As per its official statement, Cronologics is joining Google “to help grow the portfolio of watches powered by Android Wear. We see strong alignment with Android Wear’s mission and look forward to working with our new colleagues at Google to continue pushing the frontier of wearable technology and smartwatches with Android Wear 2.0 and beyond.”
We're not sure how much Cronologics will be able to contribute to the creation of Android Wear 2.0 since Google has announced the new smartwatch OS will be released in early 2017.
Perhaps Google needs more people with enough expertise to improve a smartwatch OS that feels like a patient in a state of coma. Hopefully, Cronologics' acquisition will revitalize Android Wear and make it a true competitor for Samsung's Tizen OS.
Here is to hoping that Android Wear 2.0 will be released sooner rather than later, and that the launch of the new OS will be fully supported by smartwatch makers.