Samsung Denies Report Ditching Android Wear For Tizen
Sound the alarm and alert the public, Samsung is kicking Android Wear to the curb and rolling exclusively with its own Tizen OS for wearables such as smartwatches! Actually, don't go sounding the alarm and don't alert the public—contrary to what you might have read earlier today, Samsung isn't ditching Android Wear.
The clarification from Samsung came after Fast Company cited unnamed executives from the South Korean firm as saying that it wasn't building or planning to develop any Android Wear devices. It seemed like a totally plausible statement considering that Samsung's tapped Tizen for nearly all of its smartwatches, including its most recent addition, the Gear S2. But whatever the executives might have said, something was apparently lost in translation.
"We disagree with Fast Company's interpretation. Samsung has not made any announcement concerning Android Wear and we have not changed our commitment to any of our platforms," Samsung told Engadget.
According to the original report, Samsung's executives poured on the praise for Tizen, saying it's much more battery efficient than Android Wear. They also pointed out that Tizen is the go-to OS for many of Samsung's products, including smart TVs, refrigerators, and so forth. But somewhere amid the excitement of trumpeting Tizen, someone must have said something that seemed to suggest Android Wear is out.
Even if Samsung did decide to stick with Tizen exclusively for its smartwatch line, it would be hard to fault the company. Its Gear S2 is a slick option that's fast, looks great, and lives up to Samsung's battery life boasts. The negatives—fledgling app ecosystem and proprietary watchband connector—weren't enough to prevent it from earning our Editor's Choice award, and that was before a $150 price cut.
The clarification from Samsung came after Fast Company cited unnamed executives from the South Korean firm as saying that it wasn't building or planning to develop any Android Wear devices. It seemed like a totally plausible statement considering that Samsung's tapped Tizen for nearly all of its smartwatches, including its most recent addition, the Gear S2. But whatever the executives might have said, something was apparently lost in translation.
"We disagree with Fast Company's interpretation. Samsung has not made any announcement concerning Android Wear and we have not changed our commitment to any of our platforms," Samsung told Engadget.
According to the original report, Samsung's executives poured on the praise for Tizen, saying it's much more battery efficient than Android Wear. They also pointed out that Tizen is the go-to OS for many of Samsung's products, including smart TVs, refrigerators, and so forth. But somewhere amid the excitement of trumpeting Tizen, someone must have said something that seemed to suggest Android Wear is out.
Even if Samsung did decide to stick with Tizen exclusively for its smartwatch line, it would be hard to fault the company. Its Gear S2 is a slick option that's fast, looks great, and lives up to Samsung's battery life boasts. The negatives—fledgling app ecosystem and proprietary watchband connector—weren't enough to prevent it from earning our Editor's Choice award, and that was before a $150 price cut.
