It was reported earlier this week that Google might be looking to rebrand Android Wear, the iteration of its mobile platform meant for smartwatches. The company says that trends have shifted significantly ever since Android Wear was launched which is why it has decided to announce a new name for Android Wear which better reflects the reality. Android Wear will henceforth be known as Wear OS by Google.
Google has worked with dozens of technology and fashion brands to launch Android Wear-powered smartwatches. The platform doesn’t lock in users so the smartwatches can be used with iPhones as well and a lot of them are. Google says that in 2017, one out of three new Android Wear smartwatch owners also used an iPhone.
The company says that to better reflect its vision for the platform and the people who wear its watches, it has decided to rebrand Android Wear as Wear OS by Google. The company describes it as “a wearables operating system for everyone.”
No changes have been made to the platform itself so it’s still the same underneath but perhaps some might be announced at the company’s upcoming I/O 2018 developers conference. You can expect to see Wear OS by Google replace the Android Wear branding on your smartwatch and phone app over the next few weeks.
Filed in . Read more about Android Wear and Google.