Rumors are rife that Samsung is planning to ditch Tizen in favor of Google’s Wear OS for its next-gen smartwatches. Now, another reliable source has confirmed this development. According to SamMobile, the upcoming Galaxy Watch 4 series will indeed be running Wear OS.
The publication claims that Samsung is preparing three different versions of its new smartwatch and none of them will use Tizen. The Korean company is replacing Tizen with Wear OS-based One UI 3.x. It has developed an entirely new version of One UI for its wearable devices.
So while the underlying OS will be completely different, the Galaxy Watch 4 series will have a familiar look and feel. Samsung has reportedly revamped the interface for more ease of access.
There are also some new features in tow. Among them is a feature that transforms the watch into a walkie-talkie. It allows users to send short and quick voice messages to their friends. A similar feature is already found on the Apple Watch for some time now. So it’s nice to see Samsung finally catching up. There are also reportedly new SmartThings features in development for the Galaxy Watch 4 series.
Galaxy Watch 4 will be available in both classic and sporty designs
According to the report, the three new Galaxy Watch 4 models are codenamed Wise, Fresh, and Lucky. Wise will have more classic design elements, much like a conventional watch. It will feature a rotating bezel ring.
The Fresh and Lucky, on the other hand, are two sporty Galaxy Watch models for 2021. One of them should launch under the Active series. There’s no word on the presence of a rotating bezel on these two watches. However, they are unlikely to miss out on it, or at least one of them would keep this signature feature.
Previous reports have suggested that the Galaxy Watch 4 models will arrive in multiple size variants as well. The regular Galaxy Watch 4 will be available in 41mm and 45mm variants while the Watch Active 4 will ship in 39mm and 43mm sizes.
Samsung has yet to reveal when it plans to unveil the new smartwatches. However, recent reports suggest the new wearable devices may arrive alongside the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Z Fold 3 foldables sometime in July this year. We should get to hear more about the Galaxy Watch 4 series, or perhaps get to see them as well, in the build-up to the launch in a couple of months.