At Google I/O 2021, Google announced a refershed version of Wear OS (Wear OS 3), implementing the insights it got from its partner Samsung. Samsung also ditched its long-standing Tizen OS and adopted Wear OS 3 for its Galaxy Watches. Well, as per the data shared by Google at the ongoing CES 2023, Wear OS 3 has helped the company get a 3x boost in active Wear OS devices since May 2021.
After Wear OS 3 debuted with the Galaxy Watch 4 series in August 2021, it was followed by the Montblanc Summit 3 in June 2022 and the Galaxy Watch 5 two months later. Google also packed its own Pixel Watch, launched in October, with Wear OS 3. Other smartwatches, such as the Fossil Gen 6, followed along with the Gen 6 Wellness Edition.
Google said that the increase in the feature set of Wear OS 3, and all the new things that users could do more smoothly and efficiently right on their smartwatch, helped them get more active Wear OS users. It specifically highlighted that with Wear OS 3, users can use the Camera app for selfies, or use it as a shutter button on Pixel phones. Google Home can also be used on a smartwatch with the latest OS to control all the connected appliances.
The company also revealed that Fast Pair, which was introduced in 2017 on Android, has breached the 320+ million connections mark in 2022. This includes headphones from brands such as Beats, JBL (owned by Samsung), OnePlus, and Sony.
Google also shared other stats, where it highlighted that Nearby Share is now available across nearly 3 billion devices. The casting feature is also witnessing an increased number of supported apps. There are over 150 million monthly active Google TV devices.
