Google’s Android operating system has become so popular that it is almost synonymous with smartphones. After all, without a phone you can’t even use the Internet. With Google in control of the operating system and the Play Store, there’s no better place for new smartphone makers to make their first foray into mobile technology than through Android. With the latest versions of Android Wear OS and Android coming from Google, this makes it an even more natural choice for phone makers who want to get into the business of making their own connected devices. This includes other device makers outside of Google, as well as startups that have developed an interest in making wearables but don’t have the time or resources to do it on their own. With this in mind, let’s take a look at what you need to know about Wear OS by Google so you can make an informed decision about its potential impact on your business…
What is Wear OS by Google?
Wear OS by Google is the operating system running wearable devices manufactured by Google partners like Fossil, Casio and Tag Heuer. It’s also the operating system that powers the company’s smartwatches and fitness trackers. Wear OS is the successor to the Google Fit platform that was used in the company’s early hardware efforts. Wear OS works on smartphones running Android 4.4 or newer. While it’s possible to run Wear OS on non-smartphones, there are a lot of unique challenges to doing so, so it’s not very common. Once a Wear OS device is paired with an Android smartphone, it acts as both a watch and a smartwatch. Wear OS watches can show you and respond to notifications, control music on your phone, and more. Wear OS fitness trackers can take your basic fitness stats and track deeper information like your daily steps and active minutes.
How does Android WearOS work?
Wear OS by Google is built on top of Android, and it works in a pretty standard way. Wear OS devices come with a watch that runs on Wear OS. Depending on the device and manufacturer, this watch may also run Assistant on the watch itself or just in the background on your phone or other device. If you have an Android smartphone, you can pair the watch with that phone so that the smartphone acts as both a watch and a phone. The watch can run the apps installed on the phone like any other Android smartphone. Wear OS supports some unique features that make it the best choice for wearables, like a streamlined watch face design that displays essential information and a smartwatch mode that takes notifications from your phone and lets you respond to them, control music or perform other actions on your phone without taking it out of your pocket.
iOS and Android app with Wear OS
Android apps running on Wear OS devices can also work on iOS devices through the Google Play Store. This includes apps made for Wear OS, as well as iOS apps that run on Wear OS. Although Wear OS has some unique limitations when it comes to running iOS apps, it also has some advantages. First of all, Wear OS watches don’t have the same level of functionality as smartwatches, like GPS tracking, a heart rate monitor, or a built-in health app. So if you just need a basic fitness tracker, you can get away with carrying one that doesn’t have these more advanced features. However, if you want to run more complex iOS apps, they will also work on Wear OS devices just like they would on an iPhone. There are also some apps that are designed to work with Wear OS and are designed to work well on different sized screens, like a Wear OS watch with a round screen.
Limitations of Wear OS by Google
one of the biggest benefits of Wear OS about the competition is that it is built on top of Android. Android is the most popular and well-known smartphone operating system in the world. This means that many of the existing apps that work for Android will also work for Wear OS. However, there are some notable limitations with Wear OS. First of all, Wear OS doesn’t support dual SIM like Android. So if you want to use two different phone numbers with your watch, you’ll need to use a completely different device. Second, Wear OS doesn’t support Bluetooth audio like Android does. This means that if you want to use your watch as a speaker for music, you’ll need to pair it with an Android phone. Lastly, Wear OS doesn’t support apps that are offline or require any kind of Internet connection to run.
Wear OS vs Android Things
Google’s Wear OS is one part of the company’s big push toward IoT devices that work together. Wear OS is also the operating system that powers Google’s smartwatches and fitness trackers, along with many of the company’s other wearables. Although Wear OS is powerful, it has some limitations because it is based on Android. It supports Bluetooth, but not Wi-Fi. Google also announced that it is working on a new operating system, Android 9 Pie, which will make it easier for manufacturers to build Android Things devices. Android Things is designed to make it easier for manufacturers to build Internet of Things devices using the same operating system that runs wearables. It also brings some of the benefits of Wear OS to Android Things.
Next steps
For the most part, Wear OS is the same Android you know and love. However, it has some Unique features that make it a better choice for wearables, like a streamlined watch face design that displays essential information and a smartwatch mode that takes notifications from your phone and lets you respond to them, control music, or perform other actions on your phone without taking it out of your pocket. To learn more about Wear OS and see which devices run on it, visit https://wear.google.com. From there, you can check out our comparison table to see which Wear OS watches are available and which are scheduled to launch soon to see which devices might be the best fit for your business. You can also contact the manufacturers listed on that page to see if they have Wear OS devices available for purchase.