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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.

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

Fossil Q Founder Android Wear watch now available from Google’s Play Store

Fossil officially released its very first Android Wear watch a couple of weeks ago. The $295 smartwatch is powered by an Intel Atom processor and has a round display complete with ‘flat tire’, and has now been made available to order from Google’s devices store. What’s more, because it’s on Google’s tech-focussed store, we get a much better idea about the watch’s internal specifications. As Android Wear devices go, it looks set to compete with the best of them…


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The latest Omate smartwatch for Android launches on Indiegogo with instant success

From 9to5Toys.com:

We’ve been inundated with smartwatches and wearables over the last year. Now, 2015 is coming to a close with one more new release. This morning, the Omate Rise Standalone Smartwatch for iOS and Android launched on Indiegogo. In just a few hours it has doubled its initial goal and is beginning to sell out of inventory.

You see, Omate differs from many crowdfunding projects that go on for weeks and even months at a time. This campaign is set to conclude before the end of the week with just over 1,000 units available. With a $199 price tag, it’s no surprise that backers are snatching Omate up while the campaign is still live. More details below.


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Opinion: Huawei Watch is so close to brilliance, it hurts

The Huawei Watch is quite possibly one of this year’s best surprises. We didn’t know Huawei was working on an Android Wear watch until they showed it to us at MWC, and when it did, we knew it was going to take some beating. Now that it’s on the market and I’ve had my time with the final, released product, I can safely say my first impressions have lasted. This watch is fantastic, and easily a contender for the title of “best Android Wear watch.”


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TAG Heuer Connected demand forces production increase, new models coming in 2016/17

TAG Heuer has had to almost double its production to meet demand for its first Android Wear luxury smartwatch. The TAG Heuer Connected is based on the design of its popular Carrera range and comes loaded with an Intel processor and runs Google’s wearable OS. Retailers and various other resellers have requested a total of 100,000 units of the watch, which is way more than what the company expected upon announcement


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Google launches annual Santa Tracker site w/ updated Android app

Google knows all, including where Santa is. I’m not just talking about on Christmas Eve, but also what he’s doing while on vacation. If you want to join in on the tracking, check out the newly updated Santa Tracker website and Android app.

Both feature a countdown to Santa taking off on Christmas Eve, when people (mostly children) can track Santa’s whereabouts as he is delivering presents all over the world via Google Maps. Until then, the updated-daily site has fun activities and information on other holidays celebrated around the world.

The updated app includes several fun games where you can earn achievements and rank on leaderboards in Play Games. There are also various festive Android Wear watchfaces featuring Santa and elves. For the first time, this year there’s also a Google Cardboard component and an Android TV app that allows you to track Santa’s journey when the countdown to Christmas Eve is finished.

To partake in the fun, head on over to the Santa Tracker website and download the app on Google Play.


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9to5Google Gift Guide: These are the best Android wearables for the Google enthusiast

Android Wear smartwatches may not be as much of a “hot gift” this year as the Apple Watch is, but if you have friends without an iPhone, going with an Android-based smartwatch is pretty much your only option if you want to gift them a wearable. There are a lot of options to pick from across many different price points, but we’re here to help you pick out the perfect combo of fashion and tech for your loved one…
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Fitness-focused Moto 360 Sport launching later this month with built-in GPS

Back when it introduced the new Moto 360 range, Motorola also showed off a brand new sports-focused version of its popular Android Wear smartwatch. Unlike the regular Moto 360 though, it wasn’t available right after launch. In a blog post today, the company has finally given us an official price and release date for the fitness wearable…


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Sketchy rumor suggests Huawei could manufacture a new Nexus 7 in 2016

The last two Nexus 7 tablets were manufactured by ASUS, but if a new sketchy rumor (originating from none other than Chinese social network Weibo) is to be believed, Huawei — maker of the well-received Nexus 6P — could be next in line. Rumors from random users on Weibo aren’t usually the most dependable source of information, but this particular user seems to have experience in IC design and has more than 34,000 followers (and, to boot, seems to have at least some internal knowledge of Huawei, Oppo, and other Chinese companies)…


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9to5Toys Lunch Break: Galaxy S6 Edge $460, Samsung Gear Live $79, Black Friday deals

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

Heads up! During Black Friday/Cyber Monday you’re going to have to follow us on Twitter to get the best deals since many sell out too quickly to post.

TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge 32 GB (unlocked): $460 shipped (Reg. $600) | eBay

Deal: Samsung’s Android Wear-powered Gear Live is now just $79

ASUS Chromebox 1.7GHz/4GB/16GB: $199 or $175 w/ Visa Checkout (Reg. $230)

ASUS Chromebook 1.8GHz/2GB/16GB: $210 or $190 w/ Visa Checkout (w/ code VCOBF15) (Reg. $250)

Samsung Galaxy Tab A 9.7-Inch Tablet (16 GB): $230 shipped (Reg. $300) | Amazon

Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 (7-Inch, Black): $120 shipped (Reg. $180) | Amazon

9to5Google Gift Guides: Stephen and Cam’s favorite Chrome and Android-powered products

Cyber Monday Ad Roundup: What to expect from Target, Best Buy, Walmart and others

Amazon releases its Cyber Monday strategy with rotating deals every five minutes

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

Free downloads via Amazon: dozens of songs, movies, TV episodes, apps and eBooks

BLACK FRIDAY AD LEAKS & NEWS:

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Best of Black Friday – Streaming Media Players: Apple TV 64GB $180, Roku SE $20, 2-Pack Chromecast (2nd gen) $50more

Best of Black Friday – Smart Home: Nest Thermostat $250 + $50 GC, Philips Hue kit $130

Best of Black Friday – HDTVs: 40-inch from $149, Samsung 55-inch Smart $580 (Reg. $1,200), more

Best of Black Friday – iPads, Tablets and e-readers: iPad Air 2 from $360, Amazon Fire $35 (Reg. $50)more

Best of Black Friday – Games: Xbox One/PS4 console bundles, deep discounts on games, more

Best of Black Friday – wearables: Fitbit Flex $59/Charge $90/more, $100 off Apple Watch, Android smartwatchesmore

Best Buy’s Black Friday ad brings deals on Apple Watch, Macs, HDTVs, games & more!

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

Pebble Time iOS/Android Smartwatch: $130 shipped (Reg. $200)

Apple AirPort Extreme 802.11ac Wireless Router (refurbished): $100 shipped (Orig. $199)

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

Unboxing and Review: Star Wars Battlefront limited edition PS4 is out of this galaxy [Video]

Mohu launches a “high-end” speaker with built-in Android display, save 10%

Deal: Samsung’s Android Wear-powered Gear Live is now just $79

When Android Wear was initially unveiled as a smartwatch platform, only a couple of manufacturers were ready with hardware right at the outset. LG had the plastic square G Watch, and Samsung had the Android-based version of its pre-existing Galaxy Gear. Of those two, the Gear Live was certainly the more appealing.

As new companies jump onboard and new watches are released, that usually means tasty discounts for the old gadgets. In this case, it’s a very healthy discount. Samsung’s Gear Live is available now from a trusted seller on eBay for just $79.

If you’re an Android user who isn’t certain on the benefits of having a wearable connected device (or a smartwatch), snagging an older generation for little outlay is a fairly safe way of testing the water. Sure, you won’t get the sharpest screen, the fastest processor or the classiest design, but you will get a very basic taster for what Android Wear is like to use every day. It’ll certainly save you from spending $250 or more on something like the Moto 360, Huawei Watch or recently released Fossil Q Founder.

It might even make a decent stocking-stuffer to go alongside some of our other favorite ideas for holiday gifts. Of course, be sure to keep an eye out on 9to5Toys’ Black Friday Deals page for up to date news on all the best deals over the next week.

Fossil Q Founder Android Wear watch now available to order for $295

Earlier this month, popular watchmaker Fossil announced a range of connected fashion items. Among them were a Bluetooth connected analog watch and a fitness band built in to a stylish leather bracelet. But what we were really excited about was the company’s announcement that it was going to build its own Android Wear-powered smartwatch. Today, the Fossil Q Founder is finally available to order…


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Huawei Watch gets a new watch face, optimizations, more (but no Android Wear 6.0 yet)

I’m in agreement with most that the Huawei Watch is one of the best Android Wear smartwatches of the year (and thereby one of the best smartwatches of the year, period), and now it’s getting a little better. According to a post on the Huawei Community blog, the device is now getting a minor maintenance release with optimizations all-around a new watch face, and a new app…
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Cam’s 9to5Google Gift Guide: The best Chrome & Android-powered products and accessories

The holiday season is well and truly upon us, and whether you’re looking for gift ideas for yourself, your friends or your family, we have you covered here at 9to5Google. This list contains some of my favorite smartphones, tablets, Chromebooks and some awesome accessories that I’ve used and loved. Ranging from $25 to $630, these are some of this year’s great gadgets…


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LG: Faulty display component led to cancellation of Watch Urbane 2nd Edition LTE release

Last week, LG abruptly announced it was canceling the launch of its Watch Urbane 2nd Edition LTE indefinitely, citing an unidentified hardware problem that directly affected the day-to-day functionality of the device. Now, Telegraph has obtained a statement from LG in which the company reveals the hardware issue plaguing its LTE-capable watch relates to the display.


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Get up to $100 off Huawei Watch in company’s Black Friday promotion

Update: The discounted prices are also now available at Amazon.

Black Friday is just a few days away, and tech companies are now tripping over each other to make sure they get products in to people’s hands when the made shopping rush begins later this week. Several retailers have kicked off their Black Friday deals early, including the likes of Amazon.

Now, Huawei has revealed its planned discounts for Black Friday, and it looks pretty good if you’re in the market for an Android Wear watch or an affordable smartphone. Here are the products discounted, and their prices:

  • Huawei Watch – Stainless w/black leather strap – $299 (regular $349)
  • Huawei Watch – Stainless w/stainless mesh band – $319 (regular $399)
  • Huawei Watch – Stainless w/stainless metal link band – $319 (regular $399)
  • Huawei Watch – Black Stainless w/black stainless metal link band – $349 (regular $449)
  • Huawei P8 Lite – $199 (regular $249)

The deals go live on Black Friday, November 27th and are only live for 24 hours at GetHuawei.com, Huawei’s official US online store. You should also keep an eye on Huawei’s products on Amazon, as we’re expecting prices to drop there too.

To stay on top of all things Black Friday, be sure to bookmark the 9to5Toys Black Friday page which will be updated constantly to include all the best and latest discounts anywhere online.

Reuters: Yep, Google has plans to launch a China-based Play Store in 2016

A few months ago a report surfaced suggesting that Google has plans to bring the Play Store to China, and today another report surfaced (via Reuters) that Google has plans to bring the Play Store to China. You read that sentence correctly; there isn’t anything new here. But if you had any doubt that Google was going to be headed (back) over the Pacific, I think you can put that doubt to rest…
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AT&T offering LG Watch Urbane 2nd Edition customers a refund due to unidentified ‘quality issue’ (Updated)

Update: LG has now acknowledged the issue and says that it is canceling the rollout of the device worldwide. It also is unsure if it will be available at any point in the future.

AT&T today appears to have started notifying customers that a quality issue has occurred with the recently launched LG Watch Urbane 2nd Edition. According to sources, AT&T has notified its retail stores and customers that those who purchased the latest Watch Urbane are eligible for a refund due to the “quality issue.”


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9to5Toys Lunch Break: USB DVD drive $20, Verizon 1GB of data free, Nexus 5 (new) $200, more

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

Heads up! During Black Friday/Cyber Monday you’re going to have to follow us on Twitter to get the best deals since many sell out too quickly to post.

TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:

Tech Components and Accessories up to 60% off: LG Ultra Slim Portable DVD Rewriter $20, much more

Verizon launches its Thanksgetting freebies promotion: 1GB of data, $5 iTunes credit, more

Expansys pre-Black Friday deals: Nexus 5 $200 (Reg. $350), Chromebooks $120, more

7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 tablet: w/ FreedomPop: $55 shipped (Reg. $140+) | FreedomPop

Ultimate Ears (UE) BOOM Smart Portable Bluetooth Speaker: $100 shipped (Orig. $200)

Amazon’s Black Friday deals go live later this week w/ mobile shoppers getting extra perks

Top 5 ways to score the year’s best online Black Friday deals

10 can’t-miss deals for the holiday season: HDTVs, iPad Air 2, iPhone 6s, more

 

Giveaway: mophie juice pack reserve battery case for iPhone 6/s (multiple winners)

[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/667440584332812288 align=’center’]

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

Sony MDRX950BT Extra Bass Bluetooth Headphones: $98 shipped (Reg. $150+)

[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/667354257641861120 align=’center’]

BLACK FRIDAY AD LEAKS & NEWS:

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Best of Black Friday – Streaming Media Players: Apple TV 64GB $180, Roku SE $20, 2-Pack Chromecast (2nd gen) $50more

Best of Black Friday – Smart Home: Nest Thermostat $250 + $50 GC, Philips Hue kit $130

Best of Black Friday – HDTVs: 40-inch from $149, Samsung 55-inch Smart $580 (Reg. $1,200), more

Best of Black Friday – iPads, Tablets and e-readers: iPad Air 2 from $360, Amazon Fire $35 (Reg. $50)more

Best of Black Friday – Games: Xbox One/PS4 console bundles, deep discounts on games, more

Best of Black Friday – wearables: Fitbit Flex $59/Charge $90/more, $100 off Apple Watch, Android smartwatchesmore

Best Buy’s Black Friday ad brings deals on Apple Watch, Macs, HDTVs, games & more!

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

Choice of JBL Clip or Micro Bluetooth Speakers in multiple colors for $25 shipped (Reg. $40)

SanDisk Connect 32GB Wi-Fi Flash Drive for iOS/Android: $30 Prime shipped (Reg. $40)

T-Mobile is discounting iPhone 6s/Plus by $100 when bought on an installment plan or outright

Huge savings on pre-owned Apple Watches, deals from as low as $261 shipped

Apple iPod Touch 5th gen 16-64GB sizes, multiple colors: $149-$199 shipped

Apple Magic Mouse 2 (open-box): $68 shipped (Reg. $80)

Apple iPad Mini 2, space gray or silver: $199 shipped ($70 off)

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

GENII’s CAST streaming box skirts copyright rules to beam your content to friends

Pryme Vessyl skips the 8-cup rule for a user specific iPhone-connected recommendation

 

PSA: The ‘rose gold’ stainless steel Huawei Watch is now available for $700

Huawei Watch is the star of the Android Wear show right now, but availability of higher-end gold models has been almost non-existent up to this point. Now, as per Huawei’s official blog, it looks like the rose gold variant (which, to us, looks like regular gold) is now available for purchase.

This is the “Rose Gold Stainless Steel with Brown Leather Strap” model specifically, and it’s currently in stock over at the GetHuawei website for $700. The watch has a 22K gold plated case, a “coin-edge top ring” and an alligator pressed strap. It looks nice, if you ask us.

Like the other models, this watch has a 1.4-inch AMOLED displaycovered by sapphire crystal. The Huawei Watch is powered by a 300 mAh battery, a 1.2Ghz Snapdragon 400 processor, and packs 512 MB of RAM along with 4 GB of flash storage.

Android Wear API 23 now available to developers, brings Marshmallow to smartwatches

Google has released API 23 SDK for Android Wear, which means developers can now start optimizing their smartwatch apps for Android Marshmallow. Once apps are updated, it means they’ll be able to take advantage of a number of new Android features, and they’ll be better at automatically detecting if they’re being displayed on a round or square watch face…


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Google Fit update brings new challenge mode, digital watch face to Android Wear

After nearly seven months, Google Fit received an update today that introduces a personal trainer feature for Android Wear. The Fit Challenge app allows users to select a push-up, sit-up, or squat and a difficultly level. It then runs you through a rather detailed tutorial of the exercise you’ve selected, showing text and pictures of how to do it properly…
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Google publishes support docs detailing new wrist gestures, speaker support in Android Wear 1.4

To the surprise of pretty much no one, LG’s recently-launched Watch Urbane 2nd gen. LTE runs the latest version of Android Wear, based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow. This version is certain to be rolling out to the current line of Android Wear devices soon, and as was revealed in the recently-updated Android Wear companion app, the update will bring some features to other watches that are currently exclusive to the new Watch Urbane. Now, Google has published some support documents detailing the two major features coming in this version: new wrist gestures, and support for hardware speakers…
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Watchmaker Fossil picks up fitness wearable tech w/ $260M Misfit acquisition

Misfit, makers of popular smartphone-connected wearable fitness accessories, today announced the company is being acquired by watchmaker Fossil Group for $260 million, reports The Wall Street Journal.

Fossil plans to take the technology and integrate it into its traditional watch designs, according to the report:
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