If a recent trademark application is anything to go by then Samsung might be thinking about replacing the Gear branding for its smartwatches in favor of Galaxy. Some reports have suggested that the company's next smartwatch may be called the Galaxy Watch. The possible switch to the Galaxy brand, which has largely been associated with Samsung's Android products, has led to speculation that the company might shift from Tizen to Wear OS (Android Wear) for its next wearable device.
We do know that Samsung is working on a new smartwatch that it's going to launch in the coming months. Now, a trusted source says that some Samsung employees have been spotted wearing Gear smartwatches running not Tizen but Wear OS.
Samsung possibly testing Wear OS for smartwatches
Evan Blass a.k.a @evleaks is a trusted source with a very solid track record. He tweeted today that Gear watches running Wear OS and not Tizen have been “seen on the wrists of Samsung employees.” Blass offered no additional details so it's not known whether these are new wearable devices or existing smartwatches that have been modified to run the Android-based operating system. It's also unknown who spotted them, where and when.
However, given his solid track record of accurate leaks, this isn't something that can be discarded as a mere rumor. As they say, where there's smoke, there's fire. It appears that something is definitely up at Samsung with regards to Wear OS but it's still too soon to be sure what the company has got going on.
There have also been whispers that Samsung may have two new smartwatches up its sleeve, one powered by its Tizen OS and the other by Wear OS. This is certainly not the first and last time we're hearing about this possibility so we'll have to wait and see how this plays out. The possibility that Samsung might shake up its wearable lineup this year seems a bit more plausible now.
