Galaxy Watch With Wear OS Rumor Comes With Some Bad News
Despite being based on the same popular Android platform, Wear OS by Google isn't exactly as popular. It definitely outnumbers other smartwatches by the sheer fact that there are many manufacturers using it for dozens of smartwatches but, as far as mind share goes, Samsung's Galaxy Watches might actually have an edge. Unfortunately, it could soon be losing that as the company has been consistently rumored to be dropping its Tizen-based smartwatch OS for Wear OS but it isn't all good news, at least based on this latest leak.
Tizen isn't exactly at the top of the wearable platform list but, compared to other custom smartwatch operating systems, it's actually doing well. That's mostly down to Samsung's own popularity and the perks it offers when connecting with Samsung's smartphones. That popularity, however, isn't apparently enough to convince app developers to invest in it, which is the alleged reason why Samsung is considering switching sides.
A report from South Korea puts KakaoTalk as an example, one of the most popular messaging platforms in that country. It refuses to make an app for the Galaxy Watch series, despite Samsung's popularity there. Compatibility with many popular apps on Wear OS may be the driving factor behind Samsung's decision to put it on the upcoming Galaxy Watch 4.
There's another side to that rumor coin, though, and it isn't looking pretty. Despite teasers months ago, neither the Galaxy Watch 4 nor the Galaxy Watch Active 4 is expected to feature a non-invasive blood sugar monitoring feature. Whether that's due to the switch to Wear OS isn't known but it's more likely that the technology and the legal process to certify that feature isn't ready yet anyway.
The source says that Samsung will launch the Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch Active 4 side-by-side for the first time. One of the two will be larger and another will look more like a traditional watch. At the moment, it's a bit confusing which one will be and, given Samsung's past naming schemes, the final products might not be that consistent either.