Samsung and Google ready Wear OS 5 based on Android 14

The next generation of Wear OS is coming possibly as soon as this year, with Samsung and Google preparing a Wear OS 5 update based on Android 14.

Until recently, major Wear OS updates were few and far between. The Android 9-based Wear OS 2.2 arrived in 2018 and, outside of some feature additions like Tiles, remained relatively unchanged for quite a few years.

The 2021 release of Wear OS 3, based on Android 11, began a new era for smartwatches built on Google’s software, starting with the Galaxy Watch 4 series. The following year, Google launched its first Pixel Watch, which introduced Wear OS 3.5 with Fitbit support and a reworked Google Assistant experience. Most recently, 2023’s Galaxy Watch 6 debuted Wear OS 4, which brought Android 13, backup capabilities, and a handful of improvements to supported watches.

According to information viewed by 9to5Google, Samsung is actively working to support a build of Android 14 for its next-generation Galaxy Watch 7 chip (Exynos 5535, as reported last week). In multiple locations, this build is referred to as “Wear OS 5.”

Judging from the past few years, it’s likely that this summer’s Galaxy Watch 7 series will serve as the debut venue for Wear OS 5. It should be followed in the fall by the Pixel Watch 3, which 9to5Google recently reported may come in two sizes.

No significant details were shared about what to expect from the update to Wear OS 5. Following last year’s pattern, it’s likely we won’t learn more about the tentpoles of Wear OS 5 until after Google’s own Pixel Watch series undergoes the update. Broadly, it remains to be seen whether Wear OS 5 has any noticeable outward changes, as the jump from 3.5 to 4.0 could almost go unnoticed.

What’s notable is the timing of Wear OS 5’s appearance. In recent years, Wear OS has generally skipped Android versions, getting versions 9, 11, and 13. However, by preparing Android 14 for watches, it seems Google is looking to give wearables an annual update cycle rivaling smartphones.

Android TV has also been built on a yearly schedule, with Google releasing an initial Android TV 14 Beta last summer. That said, the company’s own Chromecast with Google TV lineup is still running Android 12.

On the other end of the wearables spectrum, Google has been steadily phasing out capabilities of Wear OS 2, with older watches losing access to Google Assistant and the Google News Tile in recent months. This should help push people toward buying a more modern smartwatch, allowing app developers to focus on supporting the latest versions of Wear OS and building out a much-needed app ecosystem.