Bo-eun leads the digital content team. She has covered foreign affairs, North Korea, tech, economy and gender issues at The Korea Times. She did a short stint at the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong, where she obtained a new perspective on news production and life. Small sources of joy for her are lounging in the sun, having a good latte and swimming.
Samsung Electronics forges partnership with Google for Galaxy Watch
The next-generation Galaxy Watch incorporating a new operating system (OS) and a joint platform with Google is set to provide users a more seamless experience between the watch and Android smartphones. Courtesy of Samsung Electronics
By Kim Bo-eun
By Kim Bo-eun
Samsung Electronics offered a sneak peek into a new operating system (OS) Tuesday that will be incorporated into its next-generation Galaxy Watch to be launched in the coming months, which will have a platform built with Google.
The company unveiled the "One UI Watch" OS at a virtual event held for the World Mobile Congress 2021 that kicked off in Barcelona, Spain, Monday (local time). Samsung was the only participating firm from Korea, with the country's three telecom companies and LG Electronics not taking part this year
The platform developed with Google offers a more seamless experience between the watch and Android smartphones. The new Galaxy Watch will be introduced at Samsung's Unpacked event in August.
With the latest collaboration, Samsung appears to be aiming to catch up with Apple in the global market for smartwatches. Samsung has used its own OS for its smartwatch models but had lacked content compared to the Android app ecosystem.
Patrick Chomet, Samsung's executive vice president and head of the customer experience office and mobile communications business, introduces the One UI Watch OS in a virtual event for the World Mobile Congress 2021 that kicked off in Barcelona, Spain, Monday (local time). Courtesy of Samsung Electronics
“To unlock the full potential of these wearables, we're leveraging our long legacy of mobile innovations and our partnerships with trusted industry leaders who have grown with us in our open ecosystem,” said Patrick Chomet, Samsung's executive vice president and head of customer experience office and mobile communications business.
The new Galaxy Watch will have apps automatically downloaded when a user installs watch-compatible ones on their smartphone. If a user has customized the clock app on their phone to show the time of a different city around the globe, this will automatically be reflected on their watch as well. Via the watch, users will also be able to block incoming calls and messages to their smartphone.
The platform will enable users to download third-party apps from Google Play directly on their Galaxy watch, such as Adidas Running, Sleep Cycle, or Spotify.
"In collaboration with Samsung, we're thrilled to bring longer battery life, faster performance, and a wide range of apps, including many from Google to a whole new wearable experience,” said Sameer Samat, Vice President of Product Management, Android and Wear at Google.
For the latest watch, Samsung will be introducing an improved watch face design tool, which will make it easier for designers to create new watch faces. This will allow Samsung watch users more options for customizing their watches to suit their personality, mood or activities they are engaging in.
According to Counterpoint Research, Apple dominated the global market for smartwatches in the first quarter of the year, with a 33.5 percent share. Huawei followed with an 8.4 percent share, and Samsung with 8 percent. Apple saw a 50 percent increase year-on-year in demand for its latest Series 6 models.
Samsung appears to be stepping up its game based on forecasts of the smartwatch market's growth. According to Research and Markets, the global smartwatch market is projected to grow over 18 percent to $59 billion this year, up from $49 billion last year. The market is forecast to nearly double to $99 billion in 2025.