Samsung smartwatches have used Tizen rather than Google’s Wear OS since 2014. But a new leak from a reliable source suggests the South Korean giant could soon switch operating systems.
The end of the road for Tizen on Samsung’s Galaxy Watch line
According to tipster Ice Universe, the next Galaxy Watch will “use Android to replace Tizen.” This could see Samsung adopt Wear OS on the Galaxy Watch Active 3, which is expected to debut in the summer.Why Samsung is looking to ditch its Tizen operating system on future smartwatches wasn’t disclosed, but it could have something to do with apps and the support offered by developers.
Smartwatches were much simpler and Google’s strategy was messy in the earlier years, which meant Tizen was perfectly capable of competing with Google’s Android-based operating system.
So this reported change could be a sign that Samsung is admitting defeat on the OS front, at least when it comes to more complex wearables. But, to the benefit of consumers, the move could lead to more intense competition among Wear OS brands.