The New Wear OS Is Still Uncertain For Old Wear OS Smartwatches

A lot of excitement was generated over the renewed attention that was given to Wear OS by Google, including collaborations with Samsung and Fitbit to grow that platform in ways it should have years ago. With all the buzz and hype, however, comes the question of when this new Wear OS will actually launch. It's a given that it will be available on new models launching later this year but it is not yet known whether older smartwatches will be treated to the same features when the time comes.

There is, after all, a lot to look forward to with this upcoming version of Wear OS. After what feels like years of stagnation, Google finally rolls up all the much-needed features into one big release. From third-party Tiles to Samsung's UI and watch face maker, Wear OS seems poised to feel completely new.

Unsurprisingly, there is a great deal of excitement among Wear OS smartwatch owners, but the certainty of them getting those updates aren't yet written in black and white. In fact, Google's plans and schedule for this upcoming Wear OS version are still so vague that a lot can happen between now and then to change the platform's course.

Google tells 9to5Google that it will have more to share when the new Wear OS releases later this year. This could coincide with the launch of Android 12 itself but Wear OS often times lags behind that schedule. This also leaves the door open that some of those older smartwatch models may not get the update at all.

This will be a very disappointing turn of events but it wouldn't be the first time that Google abandoned older generation hardware, whether or not they were still capable of running newer software. Hopefully, Google will be able to ride on the wave of interest in Wear OS and keep the good feelings going until later this year and beyond.