Wear OS is a version of Google’s Android mobile operating system that has been specifically developed and optimized for smartwatches and other wearable computing devices. Originally known as Android Wear (prior to March 2018), Wear OS by Google functions similar to the Apple WatchOS mobile operating system used on Apple Watch devices.
Wear OS relies heavily on the Google Assistant to deliver information to Wear OS users, including weather, maps and directions, music, Web searches and more, and is also designed to provide context-based notifications and information through Google Assistant. Users can easily swipe or rely on voice commands to access and navigate the Wear OS interface.
In terms of connectivity, Wear OS supports Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3G and LTE connectivity, and it can interact with both Android and Apple iOS devices. Google Wear OS smartwatch devices currently available include the Fossil Sport, Mobvoi s TicWatch, Montblanc s Summit 2, the Misfit Vapor, LG W7, Casio Protrek, Movado Connect, Huawei Watch 2, and more.
Google Improves Wear OS with H Update
Google provided a significant update for Wear OS in November 2018 in the form of Wear OS 2.2, also known as the H update. Wear OS 2.2 runs on Android 7.1.1 Nougat, Android 8.0 Oreo and Android 9 Pie operating systems.
The update offers numerous battery improvements and performance enhancements, including a Battery Save Mode, a Deep Sleep mode that kicks in after 30 minutes of inactivity, and a two-step power off feature. A smart App Resume feature also debuted in Wear OS 2.2, enabling users to quickly and easily pick up where they last left off in their apps.
The latest release of Wear OS by Google, Wear OS 2.6, was released in February 2019.
