- Samsung could launch the Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch Active 4 in August alongside its new foldable phones.
- A fresh report from Korea further confirms that the smartwatches will ditch Tizen for Wear OS.
It’s been a longstanding question — will Samsung opt for Google’s Wear OS instead of Tizen on the Galaxy Watch 4? Adding more fuel to early rumors, a fresh report emerging from Korea reiterates that Samsung will ditch Tizen for Wear OS on the Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch Active 4.
The two rumored smartwatches will reportedly make the switch in order for Samsung to attract more manufacturers and developers to the Galaxy Watch ecosystem. Wear OS will also get a major boost with Samsung’s backing.
Samsung had adopted Wear OS (then Android Wear) for a brief period in 2013 when it launched the Galaxy Gear. However, the love affair ended very soon when the company started equipping its smartwatches with its own Tizen OS.
Samsung’s software wasn’t very well received at first, but over time, the company perfected it to offer well-rounded wearables, the Galaxy Watch 3 being the latest one out there.
The move back to Wear OS could be tricky. The software has chronic issues such as poor battery optimization, poor performance, lack of timely updates, and more. Google is expected to talk about some Wear OS upgrades over the course of its upcoming annual developer event, Google I/O 2021, so we’re hoping it takes into consideration some of these problems.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch Active 4: Release date
The latest report also suggests that the Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch Active 4 might launch in August alongside Samsung’s new foldables.
The Galaxy Watch 4 could come in 42mm and 46mm sizes. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Watch Active 4 is expected to get 40mm and 42mm models. The former should have a “traditional watch design,” while the latter is rumored to get a “casual and simple design.”
Unfortunately, none of the wearables are expected to support blood sugar monitoring, as previously rumored.
