Google changes the name of Android Wear to Wear OS
Google’s smartwatches have been given a re-brand.
Google has confirmed it is changing the name of the software that powers its smartwatches – from Android Wear to Wear OS.
The technology giant has been making smartwatches and wearables since 2014, and Dennis Troper from the wearable wing of the company said the name change was to better reflect the people who use the company’s products.
“As our technology and partnerships have evolved, so have our users,” he wrote in a blog post.
“We’re now Wear OS by Google, a wearables operating system for everyone.”
Troper said the change would start to appear on smartwatches and phone apps in the coming weeks.
The name change gives Google more flexibility that no longer ties it to one operating system.
It’s a thought process rival Apple has also gone through – the software that runs on the Apple Watch is known as watchOS.
The timing of the announcement makes sense as well, with the biggest watch event of the year – Baselworld – taking place next week.
As smartwatches have become more popular, the big tech manufacturers have become increasingly prominent at the show, and new Wear OS products are likely to be among the announcements during the event.
