Google says now is the time to make Wear OS apps
Until August last year, it felt like Google had abandoned Wear OS as a platform. Samsung’s Tizen-based smartwatches dominated the list of thebest Android smartwatches, with Wear OS barely getting any updates and the app ecosystem all but dead. That changed with Google and Samsung teaming up to launch theGalaxy Watch 4running Wear OS 3, which had the best bits of both Wear OS and Tizen. It was a fresh start for the platform, and this year, the launch of the Galaxy Watch 5 series and thePixel Watchhas further bolstered the platform. Google’s efforts are now bearing fruits, with the company seeing 3x as many device activations this year.
Samsung is reportedly reaping most of the benefits, as it dominates the Wear OS market. It isestimated to have shipped over 2.8 million smartwatchesin Q2 this year. The number will likely increase even more in Q3 following theGalaxy Watch 5andWatch 5 Prolaunch. And while the Google Pixel Watch might not set the sales chart on fire due to its limited availability and below-par reviews, it will help boost developer confidence in the platform.
Google notes in itsannouncementthat developers investing in the Wear OS ecosystem are already seeing the benefits. After rebuilding its app for Wear OS 3, the popular to-do app Todoist has seen its installation rate grow by a whopping 50%. Strava, one of thebest fitness apps for Android, has seen a 30% increase in daily active users since launching its Wear OS app that takes advantage of the new APIs to deliver a better user experience. On the other hand, by using Compose for Wear OS, Outdooractive reduced its app development time by 30%. Google itselfredesigned the Wear OS Play storerecently to aid app discoverability. Combined, these improvements and numbers will act as a catalyst to get more developers to invest in Wear OS 3 apps.
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