14 DAY TRIAL // Rumor has it Samsung could give up on Tizen for the next smartwatches, and while the South Koreans have remained completely tight-lipped on this unexpected change, a new discovery earlier today suggests this is very likely to be the case.
In other words, there’s a good chance Samsung replaces Tizen with Google’s Wear OS on what could be the Galaxy Watch 4 and the Galaxy Watch Active 4.
Max Weinbach, who has until now shared plenty of accurate details on unreleased mobile devices, claims that evidence of a new operating system was found in the code of the new version of the Galaxy Wearable app.
Including tidbits suggesting that Samsung is planning the switch to what could be Wear OS for the Galaxy Watch 4 and the Galaxy Watch Active 4, something which for the South Korean company would be the first step towards giving up on Tizen.
No word from Samsung
Up to this point, Samsung has been all about its proprietary platform for the smartwatch lineup. And needless to say, the company has put a lot of effort into growing the Tizen ecosystem, so right now, the existing smartwatches already come with plenty of apps, including the most popular names out there.
It’s not exactly clear why Samsung is planning the switch to Wear OS, but for Google, this is one big win.
Samsung embracing its operating system for the next smartwatches gives the platform not only more exposure but also the chance to finally evolve to become the alternative Google needed for Apple’s watchOS.
Google is also believed to be looking into smartwatches, especially after the Fitbit takeover, though right now, a Pixel watch is still unconfirmed. According to people familiar with the matter, the Pixel Watch was this close to launch a few years ago, but the device eventually got the ax at the very last minute.