Google recently started pumping new resources into improving its smartwatch operating system, WearOS, suggesting it might launch a new device in the near future, which could be a Google-branded Fitbit. Google acquired Fitbit in early 2021, after more than a year of negotiations and investigations into how user privacy would be protected. Some of those reviews were still ongoing at the time (Australia's competition watchdog ACCC and the US Department of Justice had not yet completed their work), but the two companies announced the deal was final in mid-January. The partnership is still in its early stages, but new developments suggest that there could be a lot going on behind the scenes, and a device that combines the two companies' smartwatch technology could be on the horizon.
Because right now?
WearOS, formerly known as Android Wear, is used by companies like Fossil, Mobvoi, and Huawei to produce smartwatches that are more affordable than their Apple counterparts, but still offer a solid collection of features, especially for anyone. Trust tools like Google Maps. , Pay, Calendar and Gmail. However, the popularity of WearOS appears to be waning, falling relative to the market share of Apple and Samsung. It's also noteworthy that Google has yet to release its own branded smartwatch to really showcase the operating system, as it has with its ChromeOS-powered Pixelbook laptops. As Michael Perrigo of Chrome Unboxed noted, Google recently started injecting additional features into WearOS, including adding Gboard support for text and emoji input. It's not a small business, so make that kind of investment if there were no new plans on the horizon?