Grade: B
As Android Central’s Wearables Editor, I ended 2024 by predicting what would occur with Galaxy, Pixel, OnePlus, and different Put on OS watches in 2025. Some predictions have been useless on; others have been wishful considering. Wanting again, I am grading the place these corporations met, exceeded, or fell wanting my expectations.
I incorrectly guessed that Samsung would not “go the squircle route” and that we might see a Moto 360 successor this 12 months. However regardless of my misses, I am usually proud of my educated guesswork.
Put on OS in 2025
This 12 months noticed the launch of the brand new Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 chip, and whereas I noticed this coming, I did not count on its incremental effectivity increase and satellite tv for pc tech. I might hoped for main energy positive aspects or for Google and Qualcomm to launch their joint RISC-V chip initiative, however alas, neither materialized in 2025.
However, Put on OS 6 introduced a significant well being & health focus with Samsung including an equal to coaching load (Vascular Load) and different well being instruments (Antioxidant Index), although the upcoming coronary heart failure predictor is a pleasing shock.
With Google, the Fitbit Private Well being Coach preview reveals Google making an attempt to “sustain with health rivals,” with coaching plans for biking, weightlifting, and different sports activities moreover operating, as I might hoped. Plus, the Pixel Watch 4 obtained a pleasant increase with dual-band GPS.
Nevertheless, I’ll admit that Put on OS 6 had extra substantial UI and system modifications than I might anticipated with the arrival of Materials 3 Expressive.
I had a sense that Gemini wouldn’t solely blow up on Put on OS after taking up the Google Assistant but in addition turn out to be the Pixel Watch 4’s “killer app.” It is not too stunning that Google made certain to offer its smartwatch unique AI tips: Elevate to Speak and on-watch good replies.
On the Galaxy Watch 8, I famous that I did not count on Samsung to make use of a squircle show, that we might see a Galaxy Watch 8 Basic, and that Samsung would hold promoting the Extremely earlier than launching an Extremely 2 subsequent 12 months, all of which largely got here true this 12 months. Nevertheless, I did not count on the Galaxy Watch 8 to ditch its ordinary rounded type for a squircle design, giving it its first main redesign in a while.
One good factor we noticed this 12 months was that Facer’s declare that it was “working laborious with Google” to unravel its Put on OS 5 ban wasn’t simply corporate-speak: It partnered with Google to convey Third-party watch faces again to Put on OS 6, they usually look nice.
Sadly, not everybody was on board with Put on OS like I had hoped. It was wishful considering that Motorola would return to Put on OS. We did see an HMD World Put on OS leak this summer time for 2 “Rubber” youngsters’ smartwatches, however they’ve but to turn out to be official, and since HMD has deserted American Nokia smartphone gross sales, I am unsure if they will ever launch.
I additionally warned that Put on OS would proceed to be plagued with gradual updates from corporations that are not Samsung and Google, significantly that Mobvoi would wrestle to implement Put on OS 5 on TicWatches; seems, Mobvoi could have stopped promoting TicWatches for good. OnePlus was additionally not proof against gradual updates, regardless of having among the finest Put on OS watches in the marketplace, and it is now months behind its promised Q3 replace window for the Watch 2.
There have been additionally no {hardware} updates for Fitbit watches in 2025, which is not any shock. Whereas I knew I used to be “going out on a limb,” I believed Google would possibly cease promoting Fitbit {hardware} totally — moreover the Pixel Watch — and would possibly increase its app to extra watches. As a substitute, Google is promising new Fitbit {hardware} in 2026, so I am thrilled to be unsuitable.
Google in 2025: B+
Wanting again on Google’s 12 months, it is largely very constructive. I gave the Pixel Watch 4 a glowing evaluate and have continued to get pleasure from utilizing it months later. Each my battery take a look at and health take a look at confirmed important enhancements over the past era. Put on OS 6 impressed me with its overhauled UI, and the brand new Fitbit app is promising — although that is extra of a 2026 growth.
Whereas the primary {hardware} launch will get an “A,” I’ve to knock Google for a number of different developments. First, the Pixel Watch 1 did not get Put on OS 6, confirming that Galaxy Watches get at the very least one additional model replace than Google’s, if not two. This lessens Pixel Watches’ long-term worth.
The messy Put on OS 5.1 replace in March proved that Google had some QC work to do, although later updates have been pain-free. My larger grievance is about Google’s Put on OS stewardship: Mobvoi fleeing the platform in 2025, after Fossil left in 2024, suggests the “open” platform is not worthwhile sufficient for smaller, non-Android manufacturers anymore.
We do not have Pixel Watch 4 gross sales numbers, however Omdia‘s chart reveals how Google’s wearable earnings since 2022 have peaked in each fourth quarter, and we are able to assume the Watch 4 will hit a brand new excessive, given its glorious {hardware} and constructive person critiques to date.
Samsung in 2025: B
Samsung is constantly one of many prime smartwatch manufacturers worldwide, however its gross sales dipped dramatically in Q1 2025 and have not totally recovered. Omnia reveals Samsung wearable gross sales climbed this fall, however Samsung nonetheless misplaced 2% market share, whereas Counterpoint tracked a 5% market drop for Samsung smartwatches within the final quarter.
You’ll be able to blame a number of elements, like a lackluster Galaxy Watch 7 era or Huawei stealing Samsung’s worldwide market share. It is sensible that Samsung took an enormous swing with the Watch 8 and Watch 8 Basic designs, making an attempt to recapture client curiosity, and reversing its falling tendencies may be a long-term venture.
My colleague Brady loves how skinny and lightweight his Watch 8 is, and says folks should not dismiss the squircle design as ugly till they see it in individual. I additionally like my Basic’s rotating bezel and scale border, however I am extra lukewarm on its cumbersome weight and smaller show. The Extremely (2025) is barely price mentioning, with the cheaper fashions stealing the Extremely’s look, third button, and brighter show.
I recognize Samsung’s dogged willpower to trace as many well being metrics as attainable. On the health aspect, the Working Coach and the new iFit video exercises will not wow anybody.
I am extra captivated with Samsung’s spin-off of Put on OS 6, One UI 8 Watch, which affords glorious Tiles and the helpful Now Bar alongside new watch faces and an effectivity increase. And with the Galaxy Watch 4 anticipated to obtain the replace earlier than EOY, Samsung has established itself as the higher possibility for software program assist over Google.
OnePlus in 2025: B-
Talking particularly about OnePlus’s Put on OS fashions, I am much less enthused than I used to be earlier within the 12 months. Issues began out sturdy with the OnePlus Watch 3: Its battery life is unprecedented for a real smartwatch, it fastened a number of flaws within the final mannequin (similar to including a purposeful crown), and it has a cultured titanium look.
Sure, the “Meda in China” typo delayed its launch into April, however that was a nothingburger. And OnePlus adopted up by launching a Watch 3 43mm in July, and whereas the signature battery life has shrunk, it nonetheless lasts two days, the identical because the Pixel Watch 4 45mm.
The larger subject considerations the OnePlus Watch 2 and Watch 2R. OnePlus Watches are resulting from obtain two OS updates, however these 2024 fashions are nonetheless caught on Put on OS 4 — two variations behind the competitors — delayed from OnePlus’s promised Q3 2025 replace window for Put on OS 5. I believed OnePlus could be higher than Fossil and Mobvoi at promptly updating its watches, and I am involved that historical past is repeating itself.
Then we ended the 12 months with the OnePlus Watch Lite, which I hoped could be an inexpensive Put on OS watch; as an alternative, it’s going to use a proprietary OS, much like the unique OnePlus Watch. This does not assure that OnePlus will abandon Put on OS for good, nevertheless it does really feel like one other warning signal.
