A Samsung Android-based smartwatch in the works?

The Gear Live was Samsung's last Android-based smartwatch released in 2014 (Source: Samsung)

Samsung's last Android-based smartwatch, the Gear Live, was released back in 2014. From then on, the company has relied on its Linux-based Tizen operating system to power its smartwatches. But a new tweet from Ice universe hints at the company releasing an Android-based smartwatch to replace Tizen. The renowned Samsung leaker didn't mention Google's Wear OS, so it could mean that Samsung is releasing a smartwatch using a customized Android OS. 

According to a Galaxy Club report, Samsung is reportedly working on two wearables with model numbers SM-R86x and SM-R87x, which might be the Galaxy Watch Active 3 or 4 series. It isn't clear if these will have Android as their operating system.

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Samsung might be using Wear OS for upcoming smartwatches

Is Samsung ditching Tizen for Wear OS?

The Samsung Galaxy Gear and Gear Live were the last Android Wear-powered smartwatches Samsung released before shifting to its own Tizen operating system. That might change soon, though. According to Evan Blass (a.k.a. @evleaks), Samsung employees have been spotted wearing Gear watches that were Wear OS-powered instead of Tizen-powered.

It has been rumoured that Samsung was planning to rebrand its Gear smartwatches. The company has even applied for trademarks on the names Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Fit. But with these new rumors, it looks like they might even be thinking of dropping its own operating system in favor of the rebranded Wear OS platform. Samsung hasn't released a smartphone in a while, so it should be interesting to see what they plan to do with this.

Source: Android Central

Samsung isn’t giving up on Android Wear just yet

The first and only Android Wear-based Samsung smartwatch, the Gear Live.

While Samsung hasn’t released anything Android Wear-related in the past two years, that doesn’t mean we can assume they’re done with it. Because according to the South Korean tech giant, they aren’t just yet. A recent Fast Company report cited an unnamed Samsung executive claiming that they aren’t working on any Android Wear smartwatches and they don’t plan to release any new ones either. But Samsung refuted this claim saying they “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 didn’t exactly make a strong case for making one though. The company could change their minds eventually, especially since its own Tizen platform gives them more control and ground to work with.

Source: Engadget

Samsung outs Gear S2 smartwatch

Samsung outs three new versions of its seventh smartwatch release. The Gear S2 smartwatch comes in classic, standard, and 3G. The classic model features a black case and black leather band. The standard version features a dark gray case and matching rubber band or silver case with white rubber band. And the 3G version has the same design of the standard but with 3G cellular network capabilities. Each version features an 11.4-millimeter thick watch with 1.2-inch diameter touch display (360 x 360 resolution). They run on a 1GHz dual-core processor, 512MB RAM, and 4GB internal storage space. Samsung promises a two- to three-day battery life. You can charge it wirelessly. It comes with NFC, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth connectivity options. And as mentioned before, it runs on Tizen. 

You can navigate the interface by rotating the bezel or use the dedicated Home and Back buttons. It'll come with a 24-hour fitness activity log, similar to the Apple Watch, and help you track your fitness goals. No word on pricing and availability yet but we should hear more about it from IFA. 

Source: MacRumors