Google recommitted to its smartwatch platform with the launch of Wear OS 3 last year, in conjunction with Samsung. And this has had a positive effect on sales of Android-based smartwatches. Google claimed to have seen 3x more smartwatch device activations this year, with Samsung selling more than 2.8 million smartwatches in the second quarter of 2022 alone.
At the Android Dev Summit 2022 event, Google asked developers to create more smartwatch apps for Wear OS devices. Some app developers are already seeing a significant increase in their smartwatch user base. Todoist rebuilt its app for Wear OS 3, and the company saw its install rate increase by 50%. Strava, one of the best running apps available on Android and iOS, saw a 30% improvement in daily active users. The developers of the OutdoorActive app managed to reduce its development time by 30% by using Compose for Wear OS.
Google revamped most of its smartwatch apps over the past year, leading to the launch of the Pixel Watch. It also improved the integration of Wear OS smartwatches with Chrome OS Android smartphones, tablets and laptops. Samsung also has its own suite of apps for the Galaxy Watch line. Hopefully more app developers will bring their apps or improve their existing apps for a more engaging user experience.
Apple has a strong grip on the high-end smartwatch market and can create seamless experiences by controlling the development of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and tvOS. We hope Google and Samsung work together to make Wear OS even better and put it on par with the best in the industry.
