Why Google had to rename Android Wear

Why Google had to rename Android Wear

6 years ago
Anonymous $gIi3-PxxKB

https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/3/22/17148864/android-wear-wear-os-google-explained

Android smartwatches are in the news recently, which is kind of news on its own, since it’s felt like Google’s smartwatch platform has been running on autopilot for the past year. But instead of new hardware or new software features, the news is that Google has changed the name of its smartwatch platform. Android Wear is no more. It is now the platform-agnostic Wear OS from here on out.

It makes sense why Google would make this change: according to its own data, one out of three Android Wear watches is paired to an iPhone, so taking Android out of the name could help broaden the audience. There’s also the ongoing trend of Google minimizing the use of the word “Android” in its product portfolio (see: Android Pay is now Google Pay).