Tech giant Samsung might be gearing up for a surprising switch in smartwatch operating systems after a well-known leaker let the news slip. If there’s any truth to the claim, this would be the first time Samsung revisits this platform since the Galaxy Gear which marked their initial venture into the market of smartwatches.
Samsung goes back to its roots
Samsung switched over to the Tizen platform ever since it began developing its line of Gear 2 smartwatches back in 2014 and continues to utilize the OS with its newer wearables such as the Watch 3 and the Watch Active 2.
According to renowned leaker Ice Universe, however, Samsung seems to be eyeing a return to the Android platform for their upcoming smartwatch, despite the tech developer having last used the platform nearly 8 years ago.
While switching back over to Android may come with some significant benefits, it could also pose quite a few challenges, not to mention the risk of alienating the fans of Samsung’s current roster of wearables.
Samsung's new watch will use Android to replace Tizen.
— Ice universe (@UniverseIce) February 19, 2021
The pros and cons of returning to Android
Whether Samsung decides to use Wear OS or some other form of the Android operating system, the overwhelming upside would be the increased compatibility with the overarching Android ecosystem. While the current Tizen platform has its fair share of useful apps, including Uber, Spotify, and Bixby, it’s nowhere near the repertoire an Android device would boast.
On the flip side, Samsung’s recent line of smartwatches has garnered quite a few fans, due in part to its unique controls and better battery life. Switching over to a completely different OS runs the risk of rubbing the crowd the wrong way, especially with the Android platform’s reputation for underperforming in the battery department.
The recent string of Wear OS smartwatches hasn’t been anywhere near as good as Samsung’s current Tizen line either, which doesn’t exactly inspire much confidence. Either way, since there has been no official word from Samsung regarding the platform switch as of this writing, it’s best to take the news with a grain of salt.
