Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 looking ever more likely to run Wear OS rather than Tizen
But we’re not sure why
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Not long ago a leaker claimed that an upcomingSamsungsmartwatchwould run Android(presumably meaning Wear OS), and now we’ve seen evidence that this may well be true.
Twitter userIvan_Meler(who shared the data withXDA Developers) found reference to a device codenamed ‘Merlot’ in some source code for theSamsung Galaxy S20, and alongside it there was mention of Wear OS.
That therefore suggests both that this is a wearable, and more importantly that it’s one that runsGoogle’s smartwatchoperating system.
In the WiFi driver, there’s a config for “Merlot WearOS”. Merlot seems to be the code-name, and WearOS is..Google’s Android OS for smartwatches. It may use Broadcom’s BCM43013 combo BT/WiFi chip: https://t.co/3egIr75toS2/3 pic.twitter.com/yDRJObWNRaMarch 2, 2021
That said, there’s no indication here of exactly which smartwatch ‘Merlot’ is, so we can’t definitively say that it’s theSamsung Galaxy Watch 4. It could alternatively be theSamsung Galaxy Watch Active 3or something else altogether. Perhaps even the first in a new line of Wear OS wearables from Samsung.
Whatever it is though, this seems close to a confirmation that Samsung has a Wear OS wearable in the works, and even with a previous leak backing it up,that surprises usslightly, as in many ways Tizen (which current Samsung smartwatches use) is a superior smartwatch operating system.
Still, a Samsung wearable powered by Wear OS could be just what’s needed to reinvigorate Google’s struggling operating system, so we’re certainly intrigued to see how it will turn out.
It’s not clear right now when this wearable will land (assuming it exists), but as soon as it does you can be sure that TechRadar will test it in full, and tell you whether the switch to Wear OS was a smart one.
Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more.
Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content.
James is a freelance phones, tablets and wearables writer and sub-editor at TechRadar. He has a love for everything ‘smart’, from watches to lights, and can often be found arguing with AI assistants or drowning in the latest apps. James also contributes to 3G.co.uk, 4G.co.uk and 5G.co.uk and has written for T3, Digital Camera World, Clarity Media and others, with work on the web, in print and on TV.
Your next smartwatch could be battery-free – and powered by your skin
I’m a Garmin expert: here are the 3 Garmin watches I think will get big discounts on Black Friday
Arcane season 2 finally gave us the huge Caitlyn and Vi moment we’ve been waiting for – and its creators say ‘we couldn’t have done it in season one’
