Samsung has so far avoided using Google's Wear OS in favor of its own Tizen OS on its Galaxy smartwatch lineup. That could change soon as the company's upcoming Galaxy Watch 4 will reportedly run Wear OS.
This will be a big departure for Samsung as Wear OS as a platform itself has not really taken off.
Wear OS With One UI on Top
SamMobile reports that the Galaxy Watch 4 will run Wear OS with One UI 3.x on top of it. While Samsung's Tizen-based Galaxy smartwatches also feature One UI, this version of the skin will be developed specifically for Wear OS with a renewed focus on ease of use. Samsung is looking to retain a similar look and feel for the UI as its Tizen-based Galaxy smartwatches.
Samsung is seemingly also ditching Tizen for good as the report says the company won't use the OS in any of its smartwatches due to launch this year.
Galaxy Watch 4 Could Come in Three Different Variants
Interestingly, Samsung is developing three different models of the Galaxy Watch 4 under the codename "Wise," "Fresh," and "Lucky." The "Wise" variant will feature a classic look with a rotating bezel, while the other two variants will have sporty design elements.
The report does not shed any light on the internal specs of the Galaxy Watch 4. However, Wear OS only supports Qualcomm's Snapdragon Wear platform, and Samsung will likely use the Snapdragon Wear 4100 or 4100+ chip for its upcoming smartwatch lineup.
Announced last year, the Snapdragon Wear 4100 chip is notably more efficient than previous Snapdragon chipsets for the Wear OS platform. It offers an 85% jump in CPU performance, with the GPU being 2.5x faster than the older chipset. So far, the TichWatch Pro 3 is the only Wear OS smartwatch to launch with the new Snapdragon Wear 4100 chipset.
The Galaxy Watch 4 Could Work as a Walkie Talkie
The report also highlights that Samsung will include a feature on the Galaxy Watch 4 that turns it into a walkie-talkie. This will allow you to send short voice messages to your friend or family members right from your wrist. The Apple Watch already offers a similar feature, so this feature on the Galaxy Watch 4 won't be entirely new.
Samsung is expected to announce new foldable devices like the Galaxy Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 2 in July or August. The company will likely announce the Galaxy Watch 4 alongside its new foldable devices at the same time.
Galaxy Watch 4 Could Offer Better Google Integration
Samsung's current smartwatches do not offer any integration with Google services. Instead of Google Assistant or Alexa, they feature Bixby as the default voice assistant that's of limited use.
If the Galaxy Watch 4 launches with Wear OS, it will offer deeper integration with various Google services and feature Google Assistant as the default voice assistant, making it more useful.
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