Google today announced that it's dropping the "Android" moniker from the name of its software designed for smart watches because it's not just Android users who are using the devices.
Going forward, Android Wear, which is built into a wide range of smart watches from companies like LG, Misfit, Asus, Huawei, Fossil, and more, will be known as "Wear OS by Google."
Google says that it's making this change because in 2017, one out of every three new Android Wear watch owners used an iPhone.
Android Wear was also designed with the belief that wearable technology "should be for everyone" regardless of what style you wear on your wrist or what phone you use, so Google chose the new name to reflect this philosophy.
So as the watch industry gears up for another Baselworld next week, we're announcing a new name that better reflects our technology, vision, and most important of all--the people who wear our watches. We're now Wear OS by Google, a wearables operating system for everyone.
All existing devices using the software formerly known as Android Wear will begin displaying the new Wear OS by Google name "over the next few weeks."
Top Rated Comments
Where are all the people using wearing Wear OS watches? They are rare sighting even at Google campus in Mountain View.
And if you want to demonstrate your seriousness of the category, make a Pixel Watch.
I explored what it would look like to live across many different ecosystems, and while it was possible, it all required the sacrifice of simplicity and certain features. Yes Apple makes expensive things, and yes I wish it was cheaper, but I would much rather have all my tech play nice together, than have it feel fragmented and hacked together.