OnePlus is working with Google to ‘improve’ Wear OS [Update: Clarification]

Ben Schoon | Dec 18 2020 - 8:33 am PT

While a previous report claimed that the upcoming OnePlus smartwatch wouldn’t be running Wear OS, the company’s CEO has come out to say otherwise. In an interview this week, Pete Lau has confirmed that the OnePlus smartwatch will be running Wear OS.

Update 12/18: Clarifying Pete Lau’s comments in this interview, OnePlus speaking to 9to5Google clarified that the company’s upcoming smartwatch is not confirmed to be running Wear OS at this point. Seeing Lau’s response, that does appear to be the case. Lau only confirmed that OnePlus was both working on a smartwatch and working with Google on Wear OS, but he did not say the two were related.

The article as follows has been left in tact based on what was originally shared in the Input interview.

Speaking to Input, Pete Lau directly confirmed that the company is working on a smartwatch, and that it will be running Wear OS.

In fact, Lau says that OnePlus is actually working directly with Google on the Wear OS smartwatch, and it goes beyond just a deal to use the search giant’s software. Lau says that OnePlus is working with Google to improve how Wear OS talks to Android phones and Android TV for better interoperability. It’s unclear exactly what this means, but apparently, it’s something Google is on board with.

Wear OS definitely has room to improve. What we’re trying to do is work with Google to try to improve the connectivity between the Wear OS ecosystem, Android TV, and Android smartphones to create this ability for better device interoperability across the ecosystems. This has been something looked at very positively from Google’s side as well, so this is the direction that we’re trying to develop, but we don’t have more than we can share on that right now.

As Input notes, this statement doesn’t really address the concern of fitness that is a place Wear OS is definitely lacking, but today’s EU approval of the Fitbit acquisition brings Google one step closer to being able to hugely improve its health/fitness offering.

Also, the idea of an Android OEM working with Google on the software ahead of launch isn’t some ridiculous thought. Going back to 2018, Nvidia worked directly with Google to make substantial changes to the Android TV Oreo update before the company would adopt that update on its popular Shield TV series. From the looks of it, OnePlus appears to be doing essentially the same.

It will be interesting to see what OnePlus and Google come together to make, as well as if it will have a positive effect on the rest of the Wear OS ecosystem.