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Wear OS

1,453 'Wear OS' stories March 2014 - March 2018
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Wear OS is Google's wearable platform which is designed to run on watches. It's based on a modified version of Android, designed by Google, and used on many third-party smartwatches.

Wear OS is Google’s wearable platform which is designed to run on watches. It’s based on a modified version of Android, designed by Google, and used on smartwatches such as Pixel Watch, Galaxy Watch, and more.

The platform was first introduced in 2014 as “Android Wear,” before being modified until it became “Wear OS” in 2018.

As you’d expect, Wear OS is designed to be an extension of your smartphone. Notifications are mirrored to your wrist while condensed apps can be installed, both with their own independent functionality or as an extension of the smartphone app.

Where Wear OS was once found across a variety of smartwatch brands, the market has condensed in recent years. Names such as Fossil, Mobvoi, and others faded away in favor of first-party smartwatches from Google and Samsung, as other names in Android such as OnePlus, Oppo, Xiaomi, and more.

A few key Wear OS smartwatches include:

Google’s Pixel Watch is the poster child of Wear OS, with a heavy focus on Fitbit features and Gemini integration.

Pixel Watch 4
Galaxy Watch 8 Classic

You can read the latest news about the platform and its apps below.

Which Android-branded product will be next to lose the namesake, if any? [Poll]

Avatar for Justin Duino Mar 15 2018 - 4:04 pm PT
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Today, Google officially announced that it would be renaming Android Wear to Wear OS by Google, “a wearables operating system for everyone.” With this change, we see Google seemingly separating the product from the Android name and making it appear more universal.

Do you think Google will be renaming any other products to remove the Android namesake?


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Google Play services beta hints at Android Wear rebrand to ‘Wear OS’

Avatar for Abner Li Mar 10 2018 - 5:39 pm PT
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Google might be rebranding Android Wear to simply “Wear OS.” The smartwatch operating system still receives new features through frequent updates that no longer require corresponding Android versions. Meanwhile, many fashion brands in recent years have adopted Android Wear while traditional tech companies are holding back on wearables.


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Leaked ‘LG G7 Neo’ is reportedly the company’s next flagship as Android Wear watch planned

Avatar for Abner Li Mar 1 2018 - 8:09 am PT
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One publication at MWC 2018 yesterday went hands-on with a device named the “LG G7 Neo” with an iPhone-like notch, dual-cameras, and more. At the time, it wasn’t clear whether this was a prototype of the reportedly scrapped G7 or the new rumored successor. However, it now appears to be the latter, while a new Android Wear smartwatch is also in the works.


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Review: Mobvoi’s Ticwatch E is the best ‘bang for your buck’ Android Wear smartwatch

Avatar for Ben Schoon Jan 2 2018 - 9:21 am PT
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Smartwatches aren’t exactly in their “prime time” at this point, but for those who have found a place in their lives for them, these devices have become invaluable. To that end, many smartwatch enthusiasts have graduated from entry-level options to high-end devices, and OEMs have followed. It’s been tough for the past couple of years to find a good smartwatch at an affordable price.

Last year I reviewed the Ticwatch 2, a timepiece from Mobvoi, one of Google’s partners in China. While there was plenty on that device to leave me underwhelmed, it was an excellent overall experience for such an affordable device. Now, Mobvoi is back with the Ticwatch E, another affordable smartwatch, this time running on Android Wear…


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Here’s the list of Android Wear watches being updated to 8.0 Oreo

Avatar for Abner Li Dec 10 2017 - 12:43 pm PT
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Following the launch of Android 8.1, Google also released Android Oreo for Android Wear after a brief beta program for the wearable platform. A mostly technical upgrade, there are a handful of convenient new features. On Friday, Google announced a list of smartwatches getting upgraded to Oreo, as well as which devices are now receiving the update.


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Gift Guide: Best smartwatches for Android you can buy [December 2017]

Avatar for Ben Schoon Dec 6 2017 - 10:53 am PT
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With new hardware and software options that continue to get better and better, there’s no time like the present to buy a smartwatch. While iOS users are pretty limited in what they could buy, Android users have too many choices to count. Not sure where to start looking? Let’s go over some of the best options…

Since the holidays are here, you’re probably looking at this list to find the best smartwatch as a gift for someone, so unlike our usual list, this month we’re going to give you a couple of top picks.


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Fossil Q Control brings a neat scroll gesture and fresh design with Android Wear [Gallery]

Avatar for Justin Duino Nov 14 2017 - 4:53 pm PT
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If you thought there were a lot of Fossil-made Android Wear watches already on the market, we have a surprise for you as the company has released yet another: the Q Control. Like the ones before it, this smartwatch features a decent sized bezel, but it at least packs in a neat trick to help you scroll through the interface along with a built-in heart rate sensor…


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