Google rebrands Android Wear to Wear OS
After months of relative silence surrounding Android Wear, Google's wearable operating system, the company on Thursday announced a name change.
Going forward, Wear OS will take the place of Android Wear. The change is already reflected on the Android Wear website, which now redirects to the Wear OS website. An update to Android Wear app has started rolling out to reflect the name change and new app icon.
Outside of the rebranding and a new startup animation on Wear OS devices, there doesn't appear to be any significant changes to the platform right now. Google, however, has promised new features and more updates "in the coming weeks and months." With Google's developer conference taking place in early May , it's very likely that's when we will learn more about the company's plans for the platform.
One interesting tidbit mentioned in Google's announcement is that one-third of Android Wear users used an iPhone. That's a lot higher than I would have expected. By removing "Android" from the platforms name, Google is removing any confusion that it's designed only for Android users.