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With the Apple Watch, Apple has approached watchOS updates in a similar manner as iOS, where every year the company releases a major update that will introduce new functionality, new features, and more. Google’s Wear OS, on the other hand, hasn’t really received a similar treatment, but that will change.
With the launch of the Pixel Watch and Wear OS 3, Google has revealed that they are committing to annual updates to the platform. Speaking to WIRED, director of product management for Wear OS, Björn Kilburn was quoted as saying:
“Our goal is, from a platform perspective, for us to release a new version of Wear generally every year in a similar fashion to mobile, partly because we need to support mobile. If new functionalities added in Android are critical for watches and hearables, then we’ve got to find a way to get it into the watch.”
The report notes that quarterly updates will still be coming, but it looks like we can now expect a major refresh annually. That being said, Kilburn does note that the release of updates for Wear OS 3 (and presumably future releases) will be the responsibility of the manufacturers.
This means that while Google will release major updates, it will be up to the manufacturers to bring it to their devices, similar to how Android updates work for non-Pixel smartphones. This also means that if timely updates are a priority to you, then maybe getting your hands on the Pixel Watch could be a good place to start, although do note that Google only plans on supporting the smartwatch until 2025.
Source: WIRED
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