The Future of Wearables: Samsung-Google Integrated OS on Galaxy Watch4... Enhanced Connectivity with One UI

[Asia Economy Reporter Joselgina] "The future of wearables." Samsung Electronics will equip its new Galaxy Watch, set to be unveiled in August, with an integrated wearable operating system (OS) developed in partnership with Google, as well as the 'One UI Watch' interface that significantly enhances connectivity with smartphones for the first time.

Features include stronger connection and integration, such as compatible watch apps being automatically added to the Galaxy Watch when users download applications on their Android smartphones. Through the Google Play Store, more apps like Spotify and YouTube Music will be supported, and the battery issues, long considered a drawback of smartwatches, have been greatly improved.

On the 28th (local time), Samsung Electronics held the 'Samsung Galaxy MWC Virtual Event' at the world's largest mobile exhibition, Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2021, which opened in Barcelona, Spain.

At this event, Samsung officially announced that the upcoming Galaxy Watch will feature the integrated OS with Google and One UI Watch, enhancing interoperability between Android smartphones and the watch. Patrick Chomet, Vice President and Head of Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics, emphasized, "It will enrich the smartwatch experience for our customers and the convenience of the Galaxy ecosystem."

The new integrated OS combines the strengths of Google's Wear OS and Samsung Electronics' Tizen into a single platform. App launch speeds are increased by up to 30%, and the battery consumption, a challenge for wearables, has been reduced. It is now possible to measure heart rate in real time throughout the day. Additionally, the ecosystem has been designed to facilitate easier development for developers.

Previously, Samsung's Tizen faced customer complaints due to the limited number of third-party apps available on the platform. However, the new integrated platform supports the Google Play Store, allowing users to download and use a variety of apps including YouTube Music, Google Maps, Spotify, Strava, Adidas Running, and Sleep Cycle.

The One UI Watch and Google-integrated OS platform combination unveiled by Samsung is expected to establish a completely new Galaxy Watch environment in the future. Samsung reiterated that it enables not only enhanced performance but also smooth connectivity between Android smartphones and the watch, as well as access to a wider range of apps.

In particular, the One UI Watch interface significantly strengthens interoperability between Android smartphones and the Galaxy Watch. For example, when a user downloads an app on their smartphone, a compatible watch app is automatically added to the Galaxy Watch. If the user sets the time for London and Seoul on their smartphone, those times will be displayed every time the watch app is opened. Calls and messages blocked on the Galaxy Watch are also blocked on the smartphone, functioning as a form of synchronization.

IT specialist media The Verge stated, "It is similar to what One UI does on Samsung smartphones," adding, "The goal is to provide a consistent experience across all Samsung hardware and software."

This is expected to further solidify the 'Galaxy ecosystem' that competes with Apple by enhancing connectivity between smartphones and smartwatches. Using the smartphone as a hub to create a seamless experience across wireless earphones, tablets, smartwatches, and more is regarded as a lock-in effect that prevents customer churn for the brand.

Alongside this, Samsung also introduced a new watch face design tool. Starting later this year, Android developers will be able to easily create new watch faces for the platform.

The combination of the new integrated OS and One UI Watch interface will be applied starting with the soon-to-be-released new Galaxy Watch. Existing Galaxy Watch users based on Tizen will receive software support for at least three years.

There had been speculation within and outside the industry that new products, including the Galaxy Watch 4 (tentative name), would be unveiled at this event. However, Samsung focused on software. The new Galaxy Watch is expected to be revealed at the Galaxy Unpacked event in August, alongside the second half of the year’s flagship smartphones.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.