Google teams with Masimo to revive wear OS smartwatch diversity

Google is not slowing down in developing its operating system for smartwatches, Wear OS. The new collaboration with Masimo may signal a return to greater diversity in the market, and manufacturers like Fossil could begin offering their models again. Will the new strategy work?

The world of smartwatch technology is constantly evolving, and Google plays a key role in it. Although, in recent years, the diversity of models with the Wear OS system has significantly decreased, the company continues to seek new solutions. The collaboration with Masimo – a leader in health monitoring technology – could bring a breakthrough. Will new devices based on Wear OS be diverse and functional enough to compete with the biggest players in the market?

Google has long been trying to capture the smartwatch market, and Wear OS is their key proposal in this field. The operating system created specifically for watches was supposed to compete with giants like the Apple and Samsung Galaxy Watch. However, over time, changes were inevitable after the introduction of Wear OS 3 in 2021. Collaboration with Samsung altered the landscape of smartwatch technology, and many manufacturers, like Fossil, stopped developing devices running on this system.

A key change in the new versions of Wear OS was the transfer of health functions from Google Fit to Fitbit, which meant that manufacturers who previously relied on Google Fit had to look for alternative solutions. This resulted in a reduction in the diversity of available smartwatch models. However, now Google has a new plan—a collaboration with Masimo, specialising in health technologies. This paves the way for new, more diverse models of watches operating on Wear OS to appear in the market.

The smartwatch market with the Wear OS system has been significantly limited in recent years. The main reason was the introduction of changes in health monitoring and Google's focus on collaboration with Fitbit. Manufacturers like Fossil could not keep up with these changes, reducing the number of available models.

However, the new collaboration between Google and Masimo may breathe new life into the Wear OS ecosystem. Masimo, who specialises in advanced health monitoring technologies, plans to provide hardware and software for smartwatch manufacturers. This may allow brands like Fossil to return to the market, offering users a wide range of models based on the Wear OS platform. This partnership will enable integration with health monitoring tools at a level comparable to the best on the market, which could satisfy both manufacturers and users.

Therefore, there is hope for greater diversity in the smartwatch market, with new models that can compete with the biggest players in the industry, such as Apple and Samsung.