Google on Thursday officially announced that the Android Wear has now been rebranded to Wear OS. Android Wear was introduced in 2014 for the new category of devices that have not been able to become a major trend since their inception – the smartwatches. Google said that it has created more than 50 smartwatches with the partnership with the top watch and electronics brands. Besides, Google has also outed the list of eligible smartwatches that will get the Wear OS in coming weeks.
The Google Wear OS was first spotted on a smartphone’s firmware recently, hinting at an imminent announcement. The California-headquartered giant also emphasised in a blog post that one out of three Android Wear watch owners used an iPhone to track the data. This brings the company closer and definite about the rebranding of Android Wear to Wear OS. “We’re announcing a new name that better reflects our technology, vision, and most important of all – the people who wear our watches,” said Dennis Troper, Director of Product Management, Wear OS by Google in the post.
However, Google has merely changed the name of the platform without any additions of features to it. This also means that Wear OS is still some features short on iOS, which are otherwise available on Android smartphones. The new name will begin rolling out for the eligible devices that Google has shared in the post – Louis Vuitton Tambour, LG Watch Sport, Montblanc Summit, Nixon Mission, Tommy Hilfiger 24/7 You, Misfit Vapor, Michael Kors Access Grayson, Michael Kors Sofie, Emporio Armani Connected, Hugo BOSS BOSS Touch, Movado Connect, LG Watch Style, Guess Connect, Gc Connect, Fossil Q Founder 2.0, Fossil Q Venture, Fossil Q Marshal, Fossil Q Wander, Michael Kors Access Bradshaw, Michael Kors Access Dylan, TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45, Diesel Full Guard, Fossil Q Explorist, Fossil Q Control, and Huawei Watch 2.
The announcement by Google preludes the Baselworld expo that is scheduled to begin next week where major watch and electronics manufacturers are likely to announce new smartwatches that will ship with Wear OS preloaded. Google is expected to give more details on Wear OS and any new features that will come later at its I/O conference in May this year.
