Google, Samsung join hands to take on Apple Watch

Dubai - US search engine giant merges its Wear OS with Korean company’s Tizen OS for wearables

By Web report

Published: Wed 19 May 2021, 9:09 AM

Google has decided to merge its Wear OS with Samsung’s Tizen OS for wearables, taking on Apple Watch by combining the best features.

“We have been hard at work in three areas: Building a unified platform with Samsung, delivering a new consumer experience and providing updates to your favourite Google apps,” the US technology Google said in a blogpost.

The new operating system (OS) is expected to have 30 per cent faster loading time for apps and also bring substantial improvement in battery life as well as smoother animations.

“By working together, we have been able to take strengths of each and combine them into an experience that has faster performance, longer battery life and more of the apps you love available for the watch,” Google said.

Moreover, the search engine company’s other popular apps such as Google Maps, Google Pay, Google Music, and Google Assistant will also be redesigned and improved for the new Wear OS.

In the new OS, Google Pay will work in 26 new countries.

“This isn’t just for Google and Samsung. All device makers will be able to add a customised user experience on top of the platform, and developers will be able to use the Android tools they already know and love to build for one platform and ecosystem,” said Bjorn Kilburn, director of product management for Wear.

-waheedabbas@khaleejtimes.com