Samsung was one of the first major smartphone makers to enter the smartwatch space with the Galaxy Gear. Her first smartwatch did not use Google's Android operating system, but rather a custom version of it to power the Galaxy Gear.
The South Korean giant is supposed to return to Android Wear OS instead of Tizen OS via the upcoming Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Active. This move provides access to a wide range of applications for its smartwatches. But the company won't port existing Tizen OS watches to Wear OS.
According to the company, there are still some Galaxy Gear owners who must migrate to Tizen OS if they want access to smartwatch apps. The Galaxy Gear was launched in 2013 and was the only watch of its kind, as a result of which Samsung is still supporting the smartwatch and its users eight years later.
Samsung continues to run a version of its App Store specifically for the watch's operating system after all this time. However, Samsung is closing the store next month. But it hasn't given up on smartwatch owners yet. And Samsung gave Galaxy Gear owners a way to go in 2014 when it was clear that it wouldn't stick with its Android smartwatch operating system.
At the time, it introduced an update to its new wearable platform based on Tizen, the same operating system that helped bring Samsung smartwatches to relative success for a few years. Apparently, not everyone seized the opportunity at the time. But Samsung is now working on superimposing it.
A Galaxy Store update notifies smartwatch owners that the Galaxy Store for Galaxy Gear devices is closing on August 5, 2021. While the smartwatch continues to operate, users will not be able to install or reinstall apps. After that date, they can upgrade to Tizen if they want to access the apps. But it is a one-way street and there is no turning back.
Furthermore, not all Galaxy Gear apps will be available through Tizen. But there may be similar applications now. And the company managed to support the smartwatch released in 2013 for such a long period. But the latest Tizen-based smartwatches may be banned from upgrading to the new Wear OS. This is due to hardware requirements or some Google policies.
0 Comments