[Editorial] Wearing the Future on Your Wrist: What’s Next for the Galaxy Watch and Wear OS?

Just one year ago at Google I/O, I had the privilege to be a part of the announcement of the new unified platform of Wear OS, bringing the best of Google together with Samsung Electronics’ wearable software and hardware expertise. This was the cumulation of the long-standing partnership between Samsung and Google.

The release of Wear OS Powered by Samsung on the Galaxy Watch4 series was a momentous step for both companies and one that could only be accomplished through a truly collaborative partnership driven by our shared goals. When we merged our very own Tizen-based software platform with Google’s operating system, we knew that we could bring immense improvements to the overall user experience via Wear OS. It was — and still is — enabling various features like the Watch Face Studio, which helps both users and designers easily and intuitively create their own watch faces.

We’re bringing the best of our partnership forward, and together, we’re striving to create innovative experiences for Samsung Galaxy users. As such, Wear OS truly exemplifies the value of our collaboration. In fact, I think we can officially call Wear OS an undeniable success, as there are now more than three times as many active Wear OS devices as there were last year. We see this growth in our wearables as just the beginning of even greater things to come.

A Unified Platform, Centered on You

As a leader in the wearables market, Samsung understands the importance of unifying its wearable user experience with the wider Android community. As we develop these experiences, we listen to our users to make the improvements and upgrades that will support their day-to-day lives. The creation of Wear OS allowed Android developers to easily port code from their smartphone applications to create Wear OS apps. When Galaxy users download the Wear OS-compatible app from the Google Play Store, they can choose to automatically install the same app on their Galaxy Watch as well.

Samsung Galaxy users were the first to receive the latest features and benefits of the partnership and platform, culminating in our most significant wearable release to date — the Galaxy Watch4 series. It’s our job to make sure our customers not only enjoy the Galaxy experience but also feel empowered to make the changes that improve their health and overall wellness. Health Connect, announced today, is the result of our ongoing effort to deliver holistic health solutions for our users.

Expanding the Android Ecosystem

As we celebrate one year of collaboration and success, we’re opening up the ecosystem even further by bringing new experiences and benefits to Galaxy Watch4 users. This summer, I’m excited to share that Galaxy Watch4 users will be able to download Google Assistant to their devices, featuring faster and more natural voice interactions, enabling quick answers and on-the-go help.

We’re bringing enhanced functionality to our third-party partners, too. Soon, our users can control Spotify with Google Assistant and change songs on the fly using only their voice. But we’re not stopping there. Later this year, even more of Google apps and services will be optimized for Galaxy Watches, once again delivering the most comprehensive and seamless wearable device experience with Android smartphones.

We’ve just scratched the surface of the potential of our partnership with Google and what’s to come for our users. Galaxy Watch series devices are already loved by Android smartphone users thanks to our signature designs, rich watch-face ecosystem, and holistic health platform. I can’t wait to show you the next wave of innovations and ecosystem enhancements we’ve been working on for the series. Stay tuned for even more exciting news!

by Patrick Chomet

EVP and Head of Customer Experience Office at Mobile eXperience Business, Samsung Electronics