With the launch of the Galaxy Watch 4 series, Samsung secured Wear OS 3’s exclusivity for close to a year. This version of Wear OS is not supported by any other smartwatch on the market, but that is about to change with the arrival of the Montblanc Summit 3. Wear OS is now returning to Apple’s iOS along with it.
Apple iPhones cannot be used with Samsung’s Wear OS 3 smartwatches, such as the Galaxy Watch 4 and 4 Classic. And it was unclear until recently if Wear OS 3 itself or Samsung was to responsible for this. However, given that earlier iterations of Wear OS had compatibility issues with iOS, it appeared that Samsung’s new smartwatches were more to issue than the Wear OS that powers them.
In fact, another company, not Samsung, can now vouch for this. This Android-only limitation will be broken by the first non-Samsung smartwatch using Wear OS 3, bringing Google’s wearable platform to iPhone users. by way of Android Police. The Montblanc Summit 3 costs over $1,300 and will be available in the US and Europe in a few weeks.
Samsung might choose to limit the use of its smartwatches to Galaxy users
The Montblanc Summit 3 obviously has a different vision of what a Wear OS 3 wearable ought to be. It does not use One UI Wear and, in contrast to the Galaxy Watch 4 series, can pair with iPhones. The Wear OS 3 wristwatch may have some limitations when paired with an iOS device rather than an Android device, but support will be available for anyone who need it.
Should you anticipate that if more Wear OS devices from various companies hit the market, Samsung’s most recent smartwatches will begin to function with iPhones? Perhaps. We wouldn’t hold our breath for an impending change, either, given that the Korean tech behemoth has ignored iOS support for nearly a year and counting.
Samsung would likely base its decision on the popularity of other Wear OS smartwatches among iOS users if it decides to support iOS. Since it’s unlikely that many iPhone owners will choose Wear OS over Apple’s own wristwatch, Samsung may believe that it’s not worth the trouble to support iOS. In either case, we’ll update you.