Three years ago, Google and Samsung developed Wear OS 3 together and breathed new life into the Wear OS smartwatch segment. Since then, they've released the Wear OS 4 update, and they could be close to releasing a new Wear OS update. Apparently, the companies are already working on Wear OS 5, which could be released this year.
Google and Samsung could release Wear OS 5 update in 2024
According to a report from 9To5Google, Samsung is actively working on a build of Android 14 for its next-generation Exynos chip for wearables. This is the same Exynos chip (internally codenamed Exynos 5535) that was leaked last week. Apparently, this build based on Android 14 is named Wear OS 5 in multiple locations. This means Wear OS 5 will be based on Android 14, bringing Wear OS in line with the latest version of Android that's available for smartwatches and tablets.
Over the past couple of years, a new version of Wear OS has first come to Galaxy Watches and then to Pixel Watches. This year, too, the Wear OS 5 update could debut with the Galaxy Watch 7 in the second half of 2024. Then, a few months later, the update could appear on the Pixel Watch 3. We currently do not know what new features Wear OS 5 will bring, but we can expect it to improve integration with Android phones, TVs, and Chrome OS devices. Once Wear OS 5-based One UI Watch debuts on the Galaxy Watch 7, the update could be released to the Galaxy Watch 4, Galaxy Watch 5, and Galaxy Watch 6.
In the past, Wear OS has skipped Android versions in between. Wear OS 3 was based on Android 11, while Wear OS 4 was based on Android 13. With Wear OS 5, Google and Samsung could be looking to bring yearly Android OS updates, similar to what smartphones, tablets, and TVs get.
