Happy holidays to all my fellow Wear OS watch homeowners and a preemptive joyful new yr! Last week, I seemed again on Wear OS’s strongest yr but and promised that I’d share my predictions for what might occur with Android smartwatches in 2025. So right here I’m, bearing the promise of presents for loyal Wear OS customers — and a few lumps of pessimistic coal.
I’m optimistic that 2025 will likely be a transformative yr for Wear OS watches, constructing off of 2024’s sturdy basis and the long-awaited payoff of latest Snapdragon {hardware} and Google’s Gemini push.
That mentioned, we are able to additionally see warning indicators in what occurred in 2024 that might result in some angst for Android watch homeowners this yr — relying on which model you personal. So good and dangerous, let’s break down what we anticipate to see from Wear OS watches in 2025, each for {hardware} and software program!
New Snapdragon {hardware} (and a swap to RISC-V)
Google, Mobvoi, OnePlus, and Xiaomi used the 2022 Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 SoC in practically all of their Wear OS watches over the past 2.5 years. Unlike annual smartphone chips, watches do not have an utility like gaming that requires a lot headroom; these watches are speedy sufficient with 2GB of RAM and outdated silicon. Still, it is honest to anticipate an improve in 2025, as the newest Wear used a Cortex-A53 core first introduced in 2012.
I interviewed Qualcomm VP Dino Bekis about Snapdragon Wear in October, and he all however promised that they’d have a Snapdragon Wear chip announcement in 2025. While he supplied no specifics about cores, he described it as a “feature-focused” and “AI-driven” chip that might “scale for a number of years” as a result of it will have sufficient compute functionality to specialise in no matter instruments OEMs need.
Assuming it follows Qualcomm’s naming conventions, the Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 would in all probability energy most Wear OS watches via 2027. It might use RISC-V, the open-source, energy-efficient platform with customized cores that Qualcomm and Google first partnered on in 2023.
Bekis mentioned the 2 corporations are nonetheless engaged on porting Wear OS software program to RISC-V and that the transition might make Wear OS watches longer-lived, with “every week’s value of battery life” because the purpose. I doubt we’ll hit that anytime quickly, however it’s one thing to hope for.
Anshel Sag, principal analyst for Moor Insights & Strategy, referred to as the potential RISC-V change “extraordinarily fascinating,” praising that they’d have cheaper customized chips specialised for the appliance and that it will “open the door” for brand spanking new instruments. He warned me that he “thinks RISC-V will nonetheless take a bit longer than anticipated,” however “the payoff may very well be big.” That may lead Google into in search of alternate options for its Pixel Watch 4, if it isn’t prepared by the 2025 deadline.
Google faces a Snapdragon/Tensor crossroads
You’d fairly assume the Pixel Watch 4 will use the Snapdragon W5 Gen 2, however one leak instructed Google may play it protected and develop a Tensor chip in-house that is primarily a lower-powered model of the Exynos W1000 within the Galaxy Watch 7, with a 2020 Cortex-A78 core and two Cortex-A55 cores.
Google’s present Tensor technique with telephones is to focus extra on in-house improvement (partnered with Samsung LSI) and highly effective AI efficiency on the expense of benchmarked energy. Google might take an analogous method with watches, deciding it would not want a lot headroom and placing extra emphasis on a robust NPU for Gemini duties somewhat than pay Qualcomm a premium to license its Snapdragon chips.
Google’s partnership with Samsung underpins Wear OS’s success, and staying in lockstep would make joint software program improvement simpler. Or it will go all-in on RISC-V to try to differentiate its Pixel household from Samsung’s. I can solely speculate on which path Google will take; I hope it chooses the latter, just because it will make the Pixel Watch 4 in 2025 extra intriguing, whereas additionally worrying that Google will take the safer route.
Health and health will stay a main focus
This is such a protected wager that I will not spend too lengthy dwelling on it. However, Wear OS 6 will proceed Google and Samsung’s quest to attempt to sustain with health rivals like Apple and Garmin.
A wholesome portion of Wear OS 5 and One UI 6 Watch updates centered on well being options (e.g., sleep apnea / Energy Score / Cardio Load) and exercise instruments (e.g., AI teaching / working type evaluation / tempo or HR targets throughout exercises).
With Wear OS 6 watches, Google will hopefully add dual-band Global Positioning System like Samsung, in addition to concentrate on different sports activities like biking and weightlifting to enhance its newfound working focus. Samsung will in all probability copy Google and Apple and implement some type of coaching load characteristic, displaying the short- and long-term affect of exercises.
We might additionally see new well being instruments, however I’ll stay skeptical of non-invasive blood glucose till it occurs, regardless of what number of instances corporations say they need to do it. And I do not know what different non-gimmicky knowledge factors these corporations have left so as to add; possibly psychological well being would be the subsequent smartwatch focus.
Gemini will blow up on smartwatches
Google spent 2024 cramming Gemini into each Google service and product that might assist it, and ended the yr promising that Gemini can be the baseline for its new good glasses OS, Android XR. Even if I haven’t got any proof, I’m pretty assured Google will make Gemini out there with Wear OS 6 as a Pixel Watch 4 killer app — presumably a stripped-down model of Gemini Live.
This assumes Google can take Gemini Nano — the “smallest” model for smartphone on-device AI instruments — and port it right down to work on a smartwatch processor. It may depend upon what sort of energy the Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 can ship, and will shut out present Android watches with last-gen {hardware} not designed for Gemini.
“On the Gemini entrance, I believe Google nonetheless wants to determine a option to get Gemini to run easily on such performance-limited {hardware},” Sag instructed me. “That might include RISC-V or another extra succesful platform.” But he agreed that “proper now I do not assume Google Assistant efficiency is the place it ought to be,” and mentioned that he might see AI changing into “the connective cloth between all of our wearables.”
If I’m improper that Gemini may be scaled right down to wearable type, I nonetheless anticipate Google so as to add extra AI-powered tips to Wear OS in some type. For instance, it might add its Fitbit Insight Explorer to the Pixel Watch 4, so you can ask for context about your current exercises — much like Zepp Coach on Amazfit watches.
Samsung, which has all the time supplied Bixby and Assistant, would additionally get entry to Gemini. It just lately unveiled Bixby AI with LLM capabilities, however it’s unique to Chinese telephones for now; we do not know if it would be prepared by the Galaxy Watch 8. Still, One UI 6 Watch had loads of AI tips like Energy Score and auto-suggested replies, and Samsung will in all probability concentrate on different area of interest options, with a mixture of cloud computing and on-device tips.
Samsung WON’T go the squircle route with Galaxy Watch 8
In March 2024, SamMobile reported inside information that Samsung was “trying to carry again the squarish design for its smartwatches,” with “enthusiastic” inner assist for the plan. The Galaxy Watch 8 appeared the probably candidate.
Samsung hasn’t offered a squircle watch for the reason that Gear S in 2014; though the Galaxy Watch Ultra seems extra square-shaped as a consequence of its titanium bezel, the show continues to be round. At the time, some Galaxy Watch followers resented the concept of abandoning the normal watch search for the squircle design so intently related to Apple Watches.
I did not thoughts the concept on the time and located the report believable. But I just lately remembered this August report that Samsung chairman Lee Jae-yong allegedly lambasted the MX Division for “design plagiarism,” with the Galaxy Watch Ultra and Galaxy Buds Pro 3 too much like the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and AirPods Pro in options and appears.
Lee’s “indignant” response makes me doubt that Samsung’s inner enthusiasm for squircles will make it onto a mainline Galaxy Watch. Even if Samsung designed a squircle watch earlier than Samsung, most individuals would nonetheless see it as copying Apple, and that appears to be a sore spot for its chairman.
So do not be shocked if the Galaxy Watch 8 seems quite a bit just like the final 4 Galaxy Watches: machine-cut, flat, and bezel-less. As for different fashions, we’re due for our biannual Galaxy Watch 8 Classic, and Samsung may maintain promoting the Ultra as is for one more yr earlier than progressing to the Ultra 2 (or abandoning it prefer it did the Watch 5 Pro).
Wear OS will carry again Facer
This could also be nothing greater than wishful pondering since Facer was considered one of my favourite Wear OS apps earlier than Google made the XML Watch Face Format the default on Wear OS 5 to increase battery life and left the decade-old app and its builders excessive and dry. But I need Facer again, and I believe it will occur in 2025.
Google will not return on its restriction and let battery-guzzling faces again on Wear OS; they make the watches look short-lived for aesthetics. But its present resolution — scrolling via an extended record of watch faces within the Play Store with none group — is horrible. Facer says it is “working exhausting with Google to unravel this problem” and supply an alternate, and I consider them.
My guess is that Google will as soon as once more permit third-party apps to share watch faces to Wear OS so long as they’re XML-coded, which might let Facer again onto new Wear OS watches — even when most of its 500,000 faces aren’t suitable anymore. At the very least, enjoyable XML watch faces can be far more findable on Facer, which might, in flip, incentivize builders to begin making artistic XML faces for us.
My much less dependable 2025 Wear OS predictions
None of the above is for certain, however I a minimum of have proof or stable causes for speculating. Now I’ll throw out my 2025 Wear OS predictions that are not based mostly on something besides vibes:
I will not be shocked if one other Android OEM makes a Wear OS watch. Motorola, which as soon as offered the Android Wear-based Moto 360 however now focuses on price range Moto OS trackers, looks like a potential candidate.
I’m additionally fearful about slower Wear OS updates in 2025. Admittedly, this has been an issue since Wear OS 3, however I’m fearful that manufacturers like Mobvoi will actually wrestle with Wear OS 5 and maintain promoting Wear OS 4 watches within the interim. And with Wear OS 6, the hole between when new and last-gen watches get it may very well be even wider.
We might very properly see the primary Wear OS watch with Masimo well being sensors, although it is potential that the {hardware} will not be prepared to include into watches till after 2025.
Lastly, I’ll exit on a limb and guess that Google will make Fitbit out there on all Wear OS watches in 2025. Even if it means shedding that exclusivity for Pixel Watches, the information payoff can be value it for them.
