Samsung Gear S4 Running Wear OS Rumored To Be Called Galaxy Watch

It was previously rumored that Samsung was planning on releasing a new smartwatch that’s running Google’s Wear OS (formerly Android Wear). Now, a leaker is claiming that the wearable device will probably be called the Galaxy Watch and it will indeed run Google’s smartwatch operating system.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 will be released under the Galaxy Watch brand, according to notable leaker Ice Universe (@UniverseIce). The leaker also claims that the upcoming Samsung smartwatch will run Wear OS. On Twitter, the leaker referred to the software as Android Wear, but Google already changed its name earlier this year.

This isn’t actually the first time that the Galaxy Watch branding has been linked to Samsung. It was discovered in May that the South Korean company filed for a trademark application for that very same name. It’s now believed that the company is abandoning the Gear S brand in favor of the new Galaxy Watch name. This actually makes a lot of sense since Samsung is already using the Galaxy brand for its Android smartphones, as pointed out by 9To5Google.

The real surprise here is that Samsung will be utilizing Wear OS instead of its proprietary operating system, Tizen OS. Rumors of Samsung switching to Wear OS started a couple of months ago when leaker Evan Blass (@evleaks) saw Samsung employees wearing Gear smartwatches running the software. In an update in June, Blass said that the Wear OS-powered Gear devices were just “one-offs made by Google and seeded to some Samsung workers.” Ice Universe has a solid track record so far, so it’s possible that Samsung is indeed moving forward with Wear OS onboard.

Ice Universe also revealed some details on the Galaxy Watch’s specs. The Galaxy Watch is said to have a 470mAh battery, which is something that was already rumored last month. The leaker also mentioned “PLP package,” which refers to a new type of chip manufacturing process that is capable of freeing up some space inside a device. The smartwatch will also be able to measure blood pressure, which is already a feature that’s available on the Galaxy S9.

The last piece of information that the leaker shared was that the Samsung Galaxy Watch will feature a “new UX interaction.” Ice Universe didn’t offer other information on what that exactly means, but it implies that the smartwatch will offer a new way for users to interact with the device. It’s possible that the Galaxy Watch may offer more controls with its rotating bezel. This could also be linked to how users will navigate the UI of Wear OS.

There’s no word yet on when the Galaxy Watch will be announced by Samsung. The South Korean giant is already expected to debut the Galaxy Note 9 on Aug. 9 in New York City, while IFA Berlin 2018 is scheduled to kick off on Aug. 31. It’s possible that Samsung may give out official details about its next smartwatch during one of those upcoming events.