Swatch is prepping a smartwatch OS to rival Android Wear and Watch OS
SWATCH Group CEO, Nick Hayek, recently told Bloomberg that the firm has teams working on an in-house mobile operating system specially designed for smartwatches, expected to launch by 2018 on a Tissot-branded model. The firm’s strategy could prove considerably challenging faced with the inherent qualities of Android Wear – which equips the majority of current smartwatch models – and the Apple Watch’s Watch OS.
With the help of the Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology (CSEM), Swatch is hoping to develop an ambitious operating system that better protects user data and which optimises power use to boost battery life. It will notably work with a recently unveiled miniature Bluetooth 5.0 chip. In the long term, this as-yet-unnamed OS could roll out from smartwatches to other connected devices. The latest version of Google’s Android Wear (2.0) boosts smartwatch functionality by making recent wearables more autonomous.
More specifically, applications can now be downloaded directly from a new version of the Google Play Store to the wearable itself, with no need for a smartphone. Ready-to-install applications for wearables include Google Fit, Google Maps, Google Messenger, Google Play Music and Android Pay (compatible countries only), as well as Runkeeper, Runtastic, Uber and more. The update also brings Google Assistant to smartwatches, available in English and German for the time being.
Apple’s Watch OS has a particularly intuitive and user-friendly interface, including a range of customisable watch faces and an SMS app that displays emojis and stickers like an iPhone.
In its latest version, apps are quicker to launch and users can bust stress with exercises in the Breathe app.
Finally, Watch OS lets Apple users unlock their Mac directly via their watch. — Relaxnews